


Fanganronpa: Truth, Beauty, Hatred, Lies, Hope, Despair

by Painful_Parody



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Profanity, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Fanganronpa, Gen, How Do I Tag, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I re-wrote the first part because I didn't like how I started this, Long, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Spoilers for Danganronpa Series, Ultimate Students, Violence, please suggest tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25106185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Painful_Parody/pseuds/Painful_Parody
Summary: Sachiko Homugi doesn't get it. She was supposed to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student, keep her head down for a few years and then she would graduate and be set for life.Instead, she wakes up on the floor in a castle and finds fifteen others in much the same situation as herself, and things only get worse when a strange black-and-white robot bear demands that the sixteen students begin to kill each other.Now, Sachiko must learn how to survive, and unravel the mysteries of the strange castle and its stranger secrets...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue: The Monochrome Castle

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so... Uh, I actually wrote this earlier but then scrapped it all. Whoops. Anyway... This is gonna be long. This prologue chapter thing is already like 20 pages in my google docs so...
> 
> I hope you enjoy I guess? Always look forward to feedback so be sure to leave comments/complaints/questions about what the hell I'm doing! Love ya all <3

A young highschooler was currently pondering her recent situation. Things were going quite strangely for the girl. Before trying to gather further information about what was going on, she stayed put for a bit while she tried to make sure she had a decent grasp of what she did know. So far she was sure of four specific facts.

Fact one: Her name was Sachiko Homugi and she was a highschooler. Sort of a short, awkward girl with reddish brown hair that was neatly groomed save for a bit that _refused_ to lie flat sticking up from the top of her head. She wouldn’t go so far as to refer to herself as being boring or exceptionally average- her home life was a little unusual, but she wasn’t all _that_ unusual. Her grades were good and her attendance was stellar, sure, but she was hardly unique in that aspect. Plenty of students could say that.

Fact number two: While her mind was a bit hazy at the moment, she had a significant memory that kept popping into her head; Reading a letter from Hope’s Peak Academy- the most prestigious school in the nation. While she could only recall somewhat hazy bits and pieces regarding the exact contents of the letter, there were a few things that she could recall easily. The most important being why she was selected.

Luck. 

It almost felt a bit gross. Why did Hope’s Peak think putting her alongside geniuses, people who excelled to such a point that they were called “Ultimates” was a good idea?

They drew her name in a lottery. A lottery that was comprised of all the highschoolers in the nation who did not have an Ultimate talent. A lottery to _give_ someone a talent. Despite that, it was an offer that was too good to pass up. To be set for life? Guaranteed success via such an education wasn’t something she could turn down lightly.

But as unnerving as it was to be lucky, there were still two more things that _really_ bothered Sachiko.

Three: Sachiko had awoken in a dimly-lit, dark and empty hallway on a cold tiled floor. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. At the moment it was impossible to say if she had been kidnapped, or if it was something more benign. If she _had_ been kidnapped, why had she just been dumped on the floor, instead of in a cell or restrained? Things didn’t add up. If Sachiko wasn’t so distracted by being in an utterly unfamiliar place, she would have been irritated by the fact that she was left on the stone tile and not on the plush carpet a foot away from her.

Four: Every memory Sachiko had after getting the letter, and just a handful before, were gone. Not only did she not know how she arrived in this room, she couldn’t even begin to estimate the process that led to her being taken here or even how much time had passed.

She also was starting to get really scared that she was all alone in that strange hallway, and it was making her shake like a leaf. Slowly, Sachiko rolled herself to a sitting position, groaning and looked around her. Now that she had taken a moment to compartmentalize what little she already knew, she could begin gathering new information. 

The hall was incredibly wide, but it was dimly lit by fake candles-- she could see the electric bulbs in them-- and the carpet was plush and soft. It made Sachiko wish once more that if she _had_ to be thrown on the floor she could have been left _there_ instead of the cold stone flanking either side of the carpeting. There were two doors each on both sides of the hall, and a large set of double-doors at each end. 

Sachiko tentatively approached the nearest door to her, one of the sets of double-doors at the end of the hall. She carefully nudged the doors and they swung open soundlessly. Beyond them was a massive, circular room, better lit than the hallway she had left. It was almost as if it were a grand reception hall in some mansion or even a european castle. The room loomed over her- large chandeliers illuminating it brilliantly. 

Sachiko felt both trepidation and relief when she saw someone in there. A young man in the center of the room; Quite a colorful one too. He wore a bright outfit, similar in design to a school uniform, but the colors were split down the middle, giving him a clownish appearance. The left was violet, the right was a bright orange. The colors clashed garishly, seeming rather at odds with his face. He had a mop of bright red hair that was a bit messy, but if he had woken up in a similar manner to Sachiko, it could hardly be his fault. 

“H-hey!” He looked immensely relieved at the sight of Sachiko, and dashed over to her, skidding to a halt a few feet away. Sachiko resisted the urge to duck behind the double doors from nervousness. “There’s a person here, thank god…! Hey, hey, do you know what’s happening?”

Sachiko blinked, chewing on her lip before she spoke. “Ehm, no. Sorry. I haven’t got a clue where we are or how I got here or anything really… My head’s still fuzzy…”

“Aw geez.” He crossed his arms, looking almost sulky. “No clue huh? Well I guess two heads are better than one, right? I’m Daiki. Daiki Yamane.” He smiled a little, but thanks to his nerves it was clearly forced. “I mean if we’re trapped here, might as well exchange names, right? Who are you?”

“Oh, uh… Sachiko Homugi.” She clasped her hands in front of her politely, lowering her head a bit. She didn’t know why exactly she felt the need to be so formal, but there was no harm in being polite. “Yamane… I think I’ve heard that name… Aren’t you sort of famous?”

A wide smile split across Daiki’s face. “Yeah, yeah! You know me? I’m also called the Ultimate Acrobat!”

Sachiko _had_ seen his name before. Daiki Yamane was famous for his performances on stages and in circuses, known for all sorts of wild feats- leaping on trapezes, flipping and jackknifing in the air, darting across tightropes, juggling, fire-breathing, knife throwing and sword-swallowing… Daiki truly was a one-man circus.   
  


“So… you’re supposed to be a Hope’s Peak Student…” Sachiko wrung her hands. “Hope’s Peak… I’m an Ultimate too, kinda...” Her mind was spinning. “The Ultimate… Lucky Student.”

“Hm.” Daiki didn’t seem too concerned with the specifics of Sachiko’s talent. He seemed more hung up on the fact they were both Ultimates… “Twice is a coincidence. Three times it’s a conspiracy. Let’s see if we can’t find anyone else! It’ll be safer if we stick together, yeah?” Daiki was still smiling, but it was less forced than a moment ago. 

“Yeah!” Sachiko straightened herself. She couldn’t afford to be scared yet. “This place seems huge, so maybe we can see if anyone’s around…”

The two looked around. The doors Sachiko had entered from were still open. On the other side of the wide-open room, were another pair of doors, presumably leading to a second hallway.. Between the two sets of doors were a much larger set, huge and imposing. The left was white, the right was black. However, this middle passage was blocked by a massive chain and padlock. Opposite was an equally large door made of wood, although this one appeared unlocked.

“I think the door you came from, and the other path is… Northeast and northwest? Or southeast and southwest. Or uh, maybe it’s northeast and southea- you get the picture.” Daiki grinned. He pointed to the largest set of doors in the room, looming huge near them. “And that’s in a cardinal direction? I guess north?”

“Does that… matter?”

“No but it might help us navigate a little.” He shrugged. “We’ll say that that big door is south for now… And there-” He pointed to the large padlocked door. “We’ll say that this way is north. So you came from the northwest. Even if the actual directions are wrong, it’ll be useful to have some way to orient ourselves, right?”

Sachiko began making a mental map as Daiki trotted over to the huge doors that they had decided was their “south”. He tugged on one of the massive handles and jumped back a bit as they actually swung open.

“Whoa! These must be balanced weird, because that was _effortless._ ” He mused. 

“It looks like… outdoors? But it’s all dark. And walled off…” Sachiko peeked out, carefully, not wanting to wander right out. Taking things slowly was her only option now. Without knowing what was going on, she couldn’t even bother discussing things with Daiki.

“This is… a courtyard.” She mused. After assessing that she could see no danger, Sachiko slowly left the doors and into the courtyard. There was grass, and some sort of garden, lit by some kind of strange lights- perhaps some UV bulbs for keeping the plants in the beds of dirt growing. Because even though the courtyard was huge, it was clear they were trapped.

Surrounding them on all sides were some truly huge walls. They stretched higher, and higher, and at the very top, there was… An opening. But above that…

“...Are we… _underground?_ ” Sachiko gaped in disbelief. Far above the walls were huge, rough-hewn stone ceilings. Like the roof of a cavern. Mind-bogglingly high, perhaps five times the height of the already-imposingly tall walls.

“I have _no_ idea.” Daiki looked pale. “This _cannot_ be possible… Oh! I’m probably dreaming!” He reached an arm out and pinched the loose skin, hard. “...Ow. _Ow_ , _Ow_! Okay, no, that- that’s real.”

Sachiko slowly spun in place, trying to take in the surroundings. She suddenly froze. “Ah! There’s someone up on the wall! What are they _doing?_ ”

Daiki’s head snapped to follow Sachiko’s gaze. “Whoa… Quite a climber. Maybe they’re trying to see what’s up past the top! I bet they could make it at that rate, so long as they’re care-”

Before he could finish, the person lost their grip and tumbled down. With a crash, they landed on the ground of the courtyard with a groan. Luckily, they landed in a shrubbery- perhaps why they had chosen that spot to climb. 

“Oh god!” Sachiko darted over to them. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?”

The boy sat up. His brown hair was held from his eyes by a sweatband, and he had another pair of the bands around his wrists. He was dressed athletically, in a track jacket and track shorts. “I’m fine! But damn… That wall doesn’t have much for handholds.”

Sachiko tentatively offered a hand, and the boy grasped it, pulling himself to his feet. “That was a pretty nasty spill… But I guess you look okay…”

“Let me try!” Daiki grinned. “I _am_ the Ultimate Acrobat. This is like- my specialty!” He lunged at the wall, gripping to it, quickly finding handholds in the stone.”

“Oh, cool! You guys too?” The boy grinned wide. “I’m Ren Harada! People call me the Ultimate Triathlete!” 

Sachiko blinked. “Triathlete…? You mean like triathlons? Um, it’s running, swimming and biking right?”

Ren flashed a big smile and a thumbs up. “You got it! I used to just do marathons but that was way too easy. Running’s fun but it gets boring if you don’t do anything else!” His big grin and unbridled optimism was sort of nice in such a weird situation. “Maybe I should try rock climbing next. I could-”

Daiki yelped. Both of the Ultimates on the ground snapped their heads up. Daiki was scrabbling to not lose his grip as the wall itself suddenly _shifted_. A block of stone suddenly pushed outward, dislodging him. He tried, but the angle the wall moved at made it impossible and he was flung down.

“Shit!” Daiki squealed. He tumbled down, head-over-heels towards the earth below. Sachiko felt a cold fear grip her heart as she realized that not only was Daiki much higher than Ren had been, he had been knocked back, out of the path of the soft bushes and over cold hard stone.

Before he could crash in a manner that surely would leave him injured, someone darted forward. With a heavy thump, he caught Daiki.

Sachiko bit back a startled gasp. This guy was _huge_. Was he actually a high schooler? He was massive, in a simple suit that barely fit him, bulging muscles stretching the fabric of his shirt slightly. He gently set Daiki down. 

“Careful.” He grunted, voice rumbling powerfully. 

“Nice catch Katsuo!” Ren grinned, as Daiki stumbled, a look of stunned shock still on his face. The huge man, Katsuo, grunted, cracking a very small, but earnest smile. He rubbed his bald head silently, before turning to check on the Acrobat.

“Are you well? I hope you didn’t get hurt.”

“I’ll live…” Daiki shook his head. “And you are…?”

“Katsuo Ito. Ultimate Bodybuilder.” He patted Daiki’s shoulder. “Catch your breath.” He straightened himself, giving Sachiko a real sense of how massive he was. He had to be at least 6’9”. Maybe he was even taller.

“Man every time I look at him I wonder how much time he spends working out to keep those looks…” Ren muttered to Sachiko in awe as Katsuo checked over Daiki for injuries once more, before looking up at the wall.

“I thought we were in some old castle, but it must be very new if it has machines like that.” Katsuo rumbled, watching the block slide back into the wall.

Sachiko turned to look back at the building. Sure enough, the towering building was like a european castle. The walls were the weirdest part though. Painted so that the entire left side when facing the building was white, and the other half was ink-black.

“This is only going to get weirder....” Sachiko muttered softly. 

_________________________________________

Sachiko left Daiki with Katsuo to let him catch his breath. Ren decided to explore with her.

“Not a good idea to be alone in a weird place!” he had grinned, hands folded neatly behind his head as they walked down the hallway that Sachiko had come from. “Northwest”. The first door on the left was unlocked. It led to a rather nicely furnished room, with several plush armchairs and couches, and a sort of semi-circular antechamber with an upper floor. Eight rooms on each floor. Each had a blank electronic screen on them.

“Weird… This feels almost like a super-fancy dormitory...” Ren muttered. 

“Uh… Hello?” A tiny voice piped up and Sachiko jumped. From around a couch peeked a girl who was… well she was absolutely tiny. She didn’t even hit four and a half feet tall. Thick coke-bottle glasses perched on her nose, and her wide blue eyes looked huge through them. It would almost have made her look a little older if it wasn’t for the long, trailing, girlish pigtails her hair was bound up in.

“Oh! Hey!” Ren waved a bit. “It’s okay, we’re stuck here too! Uh, didn’t notice you at first, sorry.”

“I guessed.” The girl huffed a bit, before stepping out, adjusting herself to at least seem a _little_ bigger. “I’m quite used to being overlooked by accident. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Sachiko recalled that it was a bit rude to crouch when talking to someone short, so she tried to maintain eye contact without tipping her head down too far. “Umm… Hello. I’m Sachiko…”

“Oh! Right!” The girl perked up, her poor mood forgotten. “Names. I’m Haruki Nishimoto! So hey, you’re Ultimates right?”

“I guess we _all_ are!” Ren grinned. 

“Guess so! I’m the Ultimate Hypnotist.” Haruki giggled, showing off a bit by flicking a small crystal pendulum on a string. “Pleased to meetcha both!”

“Whoa… So you can like, hypnotise people? Do you like, make them do stuff?” Ren seemed excited as he bounced a bit.

“What?! No! I mean- not exactly! Hypnosis doesn’t work like that! I could never force someone to do something they wouldn’t do when _not_ hypnotised!” She pouts. “That’s not an admission of inability- that’s just how hypnosis works! It’s more about… hyperfocusing someone’s attention! Not controlling them...”

“Whoa! Sorry.” Ren grinned sheepishly, hands raised placatingly. “I didn’t know. Maybe you can explain it more later!”

Sachiko stepped in a bit, keeping her voice steady as she could. “We should keep poking around first. Get our bearings…”

“Well this looks like it’s a common area-” Haruki gestured. “But all these doors are locked. They have nameplates on them too, under the little screens. No names on them though. But they look like they could be removed and replaced, so maybe that could change…”

“This is just getting weirder… Maybe we can find some keys in here…” Sachiko murmured, resting a hand on her chin as she thought. “Or a screwdriver to jimmy the lock.”

“Um, it’s not that kind of lock.” Haruki tapped the black box under the doorknobs. “Keycards I think. Pretty fancy. But it sure does clash with all the architecture…”

Sachiko studied the card sensors, baffled now. _What the hell was this place…_?

__________________________________

Across the hall from the common area, was a large room with a massive dining table. It was a large circular affair, with sixteen seats. Scattered around the room were smaller tables and chairs. A big electrically powered chandelier hung from the ceiling above the grand central table, brightly lighting up the room.

Sitting at the table, fingers laced in thought was a very well-dressed man. He had dark blue-black hair, and it was groomed as neatly as possible. His white tuxedo made him look almost perfectly at home in such a fancy place. However, his weight made him stand out- he was rather portly. He looked up as the trio walked in cautiously.

“Are you my captors? Or fellow captives?” The newcomer rumbled, in a smooth, calm baritone. He was shockingly calm, as he examined the three, the neutral expression on his face utterly inscrutable.He slowly passed his gaze over them, appraising each one in turn. His dark eyes studied them from behind the glasses.

“We’re… captives I guess…” Sachiko frowned. “Who… are you?”

He stood, his body totally straight, and bowed his head politely and formally. “I am Juurou Igarashi. I am the Ultimate Maestro.”

Haruki’s eyebrows went straight up. “ _Wow_. I’ve heard some of your music. It’s excellent.”

Juurou smiled thinly, sitting back down, fingers lacing together. “Of course. I take pride in my work. Music is the ultimate form of human expression. And I am the master of that medium.”

_He’s a bit… full of himself._ Sachiko mused. _I guess if you earn an Ultimate Talent, you’ve earned the right to be proud of it._

“If you say so…?” Ren smiled nervously. “I uh, don’t really know what kind of music you work with so I can’t exactly offer an opinion…”

“Hm. I suppose that is only fair.” Juurou leaned back. “...Quite the grand place, is it not? If it were not for our circumstances, I’d rather enjoy being in a location such as this. The decor seems to rather clash with itself though. I wonder if the person who designed it has unusual tastes, or if there is some deeper reasoning behind it… There isn’t much iconography to try and gauge a theme or anything like that however...”

“Uh… maybe? The outer walls are all weird and move-y… So I guess there’s machinery and stuff...” Ren frowned thoughtfully. “Which… Just makes this whole thing weirder!”

“Maybe the inner walls are too!” Haruki pursed her lips. 

“Hm. Curiouser and curiouser…” Juurou tapped the table slowly. “An ancient castle packed with modern technology…”

“You’re… really calm about this.” Sachiko nervously pointed out, tugging at her sleeves. 

“I’ve nothing to gain from panicking.” Juurou shrugged. “I’ll save my panic for when something dangerous occurs.” He stood, brushing himself off. “If you’ll excuse me. I think I should explore some more… Do let me know if you find anything.” He paused 

Juurou walked out of the room, hands clasped tightly behind his back, mouth set in a mirthless smile. He moved rigidly as he left.  
  


“Hm. Maybe I should stick with him!” Ren mumbled. “None of us should spend too long alone. What if whoever brought us here tries to pull somethin’? You two should be fine right? Just make sure not to split up or anythin’!” Before either of the girls in the room could protest, he turned on his heel, offered them a grin and a wave, and followed after Juurou.

“Ren sure is carefree.” Sachiko sighed, a tiny bit jealous. “I wish I was that c-calm right now…”

“Guess it’s a girl’s day!” Haruki joked halfheartedly. “There’s a room attatched to the dining hall here.”

“A kitchen probably.” Sachiko peered inside. “Whoa! A _fancy_ kitchen.”

The place was state-of-the-art, with fancy ovens, microwaves, deep sinks, and huge amounts of fresh food and ingredients. It was almost like a small market instead of a kitchen. 

“ _GRAAAHH!!_!” 

Sachiko yelped and Haruki ducked partly behind her as a huge voice bellowed out. There was a noisy, wet _crack!_

“W-who- who-” Sachiko choked, trying to get the words out. “Who’s there?”

A tall, startled-looking girl emerged from around the corner. For half a second, Sachiko thought she was soaked in blood, but she relaxed when she realized it was some kind of fruit or vegetable juice that had splattered on her front.

“Oh, geez. Did I spook ya?” The girl asked. “I was all confused and ended up takin’ my frustrations out on a watermelon, sorry...” 

She was tall- not nearly as huge as Katsuo had been, but still large and powerful, with muscled limbs. She was built to be an athlete, lean and sturdy, but Sachiko had no idea what kind she was. Thanks to the leather jacket and jeans, she looked like a wild delinquent, with her hair in a wild tangle that was casually yanked into a short ponytail. 

“I um, uh, just a bit!” Haruki squeaked from behind Sachiko, peering out at her. “Who are you?”

The girl grinned wide. “The name’s Mio Sakamoto! The Ultimate Brawler! Some people also call me “Reckless and irresponsible” or “you crazy bitch” or some shit, but Mio’s my name.” 

“Ultimate… brawler?” Sachiko felt herself calming a bit from her initial shock and fear, though only a little. The title was certainly an unsettling one.

Mio’s smile seemed to get even wider and she slammed a fist on a countertop. “Hell yeah! Fighting, brawling, kicking ass! That’s me! I guess you could say it’s like mixed martial arts, but with less rules and more in the streets.” She cackled in a feisty manner. “Don’t worry, you two ain’t gonna get on the business ends of my fists. Not really on my fighting level.” Mio winked.

“Uh, that’s… reassuring?” Haruki glanced up at Sachiko who was still shaking a tiny bit.

“I um, I’m sorry!” Sachiko squeaked, realizing they were both staring at her, thanks to the noticeable trembling. “I’m kind of strung out right now!” She was always anxious of course, but all these goings-on only made it worse.

“Aw, man!” Mio gave Sachiko a patient little grin. “I do _not_ blame ya. This place is givin’ me the heebie-jeebies. Well don’t worry too much, if anything gets in our way, I’ll _beat it up!”_

The reassurance allowed Sachiko to soothe her nerves, and she took several deep breaths. “Well uh… I guess that’s this hallway I’ve explored… Except for the back end.”

“Oh, that’s a stairway. The other hall has one at the end too. Big ol’ spiral staircase.” Mio brandished her arms a bit, emphasizing the word “big”. “Haven’t been up there yet. Wanna take a look?”

______________________________________________

“I need to get some exercise…” Haruki huffed, her short legs not doing her many favors on the long set of stairs. 

There was a single straight hallway up there, with three doors along the northern wall. Sachiko tried the first door and it swung open.

“What the-” She muttered. Sixteen doors, each with a different symbol on it. Two people were already there. One was a wide man with thick hairy arms and a powerful energy to him. The other individual was a tall, slender woman with a terrifying expression that nearly made Sachiko’s heart stop.

“Hm.” The woman tensed, fingers curling with immediate suspicion. Her pink eyes were harshly narrowed, and she had a deep frown that only exacerbated her chilling gaze. Even her light hair did nothing to soften her features. 

The hairy man couldn’t have been more different. The moment he saw Sachiko and company, he suddenly let out a bellowing laugh. “Hey! More people!” He bounded forward, brushing past the glowering girl. “Nice ta meetcha! Th’ Name’s Gorou Kubo! Ultimate Archer!” 

Sachiko felt a bit overwhelmed by his presence and volume. Mio sort of half stepped forward, eyebrows raised a bit. “Oh, yeah. Think I heard of you. You’re like, practically olympic level, huh?”

Gorou swelled proudly. “Ha! You could say that. I’m quite the sharpshooter!” His broad grin seemed to stretch his face, and he studied the three who had come in. “Man, there’s a ton of people here. Are there more of you down those stairs?”

“Uh… Yeah…” Sachiko rubbed the back of her head, starting to feel sort of exhausted by this man’s boisterous presence and force of personality. It was a little much. She glanced over at the girl who was… still glaring. Sachiko swallowed a bit and felt her voice crack as she spoke. “And um, can I ask your name too?”

The tall girl crossed her arms, expression still harsh. “Izumi Saito. I’m the Ultimate Fencer.” She then bowed her head slightly. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

Despite the glare, Sachiko realized that her words sounded genuine. It dawned on her that Izumi wasn’t glaring- _that was just her natural expression_. She felt a little bad for immediately assuming that Izumi had some issue with them. It didn’t make the glare any less intimidating though. She was tall and lithe, and seemed to radiate poise in a way that made her seem almost unapproachable.

Gorou seemed utterly immune to it though. “We were talking about the rooms here! We think they’re for all of us somehow.” He gestured. “See, that door has a bow on it. And that one there’s got some fencing foils.”

“Oh…” Haruki perked up. “Like some kind of talent-related room… See, this one here’s got a coin pendulum… Although I prefer crystals… And that one there’s probably yours, Sachiko. I don’t know many other talents that might involve dice, other than maybe gambling…”  
  
“Luck, hypnosis, archery, fencing… fighting for me.” Mio crossed her arms as she pointed at a door with a cartoon fist. “Music notes for that Juurou guy… What the fuck is going on…?”

“It truly is a mystery.” An oily voice spoke from behind them.

Mio whirled, in a fighting stance, startled. The newcomer had managed to enter the room in total silence. He was a scrawny looking young man. He had a set of dark red eyes and a flat, hard expression on his face. Long black hair neatly combed to the sides, and he was dressed in all black.

Yes, all black. Black heavy coat, black uniform underneath the outfit, black socks, black gloves, black shoes… It looked out of place. He had his fingers wrapped around a decorated walking stick that was nearly as tall as he was, although judging by how smoothly he moved, it wasn’t really necessary.

“Ah. Did I startle you? My apologies.” He smirked without one iota of actual remorse on his face. He theatrically stepped inside the room, mouth stretching into an uncannily wide smile.

“I am Kouji Hoga, the Ultimate Philosopher. Don’t mind me. I’m simply… exploring…” He chuckled, clearly enjoying the unnerving effect he had on the people in the room. 

It was then that the door banged open, and Kouji nearly leapt a foot in the air from surprise, letting out a shrill squeak.

“Hey! People!” Beamed the newcomer. He was the second shortest person that Sachiko had seen today- he was maybe just barely under five feet. Haruki sucked her teeth audibly, irritated that even this boy was nearly a half foot taller than her… His outfit was odd, but at this point Sachiko supposed that went without saying. It was a light-colored grey suit with bold black stripes running vertically. He also was wearing a straw boater hat. Maybe it was to try and give the illusion that he was taller than he was.

“Ooh, gosh! Lots of people!” His green eyes sparkled with energy and mischief, looking around. “Let’s see, let’s see… Yep! You’ve gotta be Ultimates! No way normal people look like this!” He giggled, clasping his hands excitedly.

“Um.” Izumi blinked, clearly at a loss. “And you are…?” The boy’s energy seemed to quell a bit under her stare, but he shook it off and recovered quickly.

“I am Hideyoshi Ogasawara!” He did a little flourish, doffing his hat. “People call me the Ultimate Mathematician!” He tossed his arms out, before replacing the hat upon his head. For someone so small he clearly enjoyed showing off. “I was in the library earlier, so I didn’t realize there were so many people here!”

“There’s a _library_ ?” Sachiko rubbed her brow. “How big is this place?”   
  


“Big~!” Hideyoshi giggled, clasping his hands together. “A lot of doors here are all locked up though. I couldn’t jimmy any of them. Some sort of electronic locks.”  
  
“Ugh. So tacky. Key card slots in a castle… Or mansion…?” Kouji paused a moment. “The outside looks like a castle, but the inside feels like a mansion.”  
  
“We’ve been locked in this place with no memory of how or why… And you’re worried about how _tacky_ the decor is?” Izumi turned to face Kouji, who recoiled sharply.

“I’m uh, look… My priorities are a bit confused when I have no clue what is going on…” He muttered defensively, clasping his hands tightly together, stick leaned on his shoulder. Izumi’s expression remained largely the same, though her eyebrow twitched up a few extra centimeters. 

“Hm.” 

“Uh…” Sachiko, feeling a bit crowded, edged for the door. “You said there was a library down the hall?”

“Oh! Yeah! I’ll show ya!” Hideyoshi dashed forward, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging Sachiko along, down the hall. He had a boundless exuberance to him that was a bit infectious, and Sachiko couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as he tugged her along. He slid to a halt by a door which was open a crack.

“Careful with your voice,” Hideyoshi chuckled coyly. “We’ve got one fierce librarian.”

“E-eh…?” Sachiko uttered, as he swiftly pushed her in. She stumbled a bit from the momentum when he stopped, and looked around. The library was large and expansive, with shelf upon shelf of books.

It also was a disorganized mess, which might have been why the rather stern girl in the center of the room was looking so… well, stern. Long hair framed her youthful face, and a plain set of glasses perched upon her nose. Her face softened a bit at the sight of Sachiko.

“Another newcomer…” She approached, offering a hand. “Hello. I’m Atsuko Sasaki. People refer to me as the Ultimate Librarian. Judging by your presence, I would have to guess you’re an Ultimate too?” 

“Er, yeah…” Sachiko nervously took her hand. The young woman’s presence was calming, a lot more so than anyone else had been so far, despite the fact she towered above Sachiko. “I-I’m Sachiko Homugi…”

“Mm.” Atsuko released her hand after a moment, before inclining her head slightly. “And I would have to presume you found yourself in the same situation as we did. Woke up without memory of how you came to arrive?”

“Y-yeah… Just like everyone else I’ve met so far…” Sachiko looked around. “This is… a library, right? But it’s all… disorganized and confusing…” She gestured to a bookshelf. “All the books look like they were tossed on the shelves at r-random…”

Atsuko’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. I’m trying to ignore the urge to organize this… mess. At least until I’ve got a better grasp on what is going on. But years of habit are difficult to break.”

A soft voice wavered out from behind a shelf. “I’ve been trying to help, but… Umm… There’s a lot here…”

“Ah…” Atsuko smiled a bit. “Why don’t you take a rest, dear? You should introduce yourself as well.”

“Introduce… Oh. Yeah.” There was a shuffle, and another girl emerged from behind some bookshelves. She was walking awkwardly a bit, with soft metallic sounds. Sachiko tried to avoid staring at the braces on her legs, and make eye contact, but couldn’t help but stare anyway. Her right eye was covered by a simple white medical patch, obscuring it from view.

“I’m Ayano Nakamura… I’m the Ultimate… Illustrator…” Her speech was mildly slurred, and the girl stumbled a bit as she walked, catching herself on a bookcase. After regaining her balance, she limped to a chair and took a seat. “Sorry… Standing’s kinda… tricky. Talking too. My crutches were missing too, when I got here.” 

Sachiko felt a bit of sympathy for the awkward-looking girl. “Take your time.” She offered. Ayano stared at her blankly, before a small half-smile crept over her features. She took a moment to form her next words. 

“I look forward to… getting to know you…” She lowered her gaze a bit shyly, white hair falling into her eyes.

“Hey, hey, so…” Hideyoshi sat on the table, only to be nudged off by an irritated Atsuko. He puffed his cheeks at her, pouting childishly, but continued speaking. “Someone’s just… gathering Ultimates here, yeah? But like, we’ve got athletes, scholars, artistic types… There doesn’t seem to be a connection…”

“Same year.” Ayano bluntly interrupted. “We were all going to be newcomers… Everyone’s said that they only just got their letters…”

“She is right. The last two who came in the library said the same.” Atsuko clasped her hands behind her back, glancing at Sachiko. “You as well?”  
  
“Y-yeah…” Sachiko glanced down. “...Hm, Daiki said “Once is a coincidence, three times it’s a conspiracy”. He might have been right after all.”

“Well, ya might as well meet the other three from earlier.” Hideyoshi shrugged. “Uh, I think they went into the east hall downstairs… I… I think it’s east, anyway. The- the hall opposite from the hallway with the dining room.”

“Yeah… I guess I might as well… What is that, um, sixteen of us?” Sachiko mused, thoughtfully. “If that’s everyone, I mean…”

____________________

The east hallway was identical to the west hall, the rooms on each side of the hall being the only difference. On one side was a locked room- The door had a little window set in it, and Sachiko could see the room was cluttered with junk. Shrugging, she tried the door on the other side. The room there was full of various things- it was far more modern than the rest of the castle, with all sorts of things- games, a dartboard, a television set, some exercise gear on one side of the room, and even a large pool table.

And in the middle were two people bickering.

“Aw, c’mon! Why are you blaming me for this?!” The girl of the two was pouting intensely, fingers curled into fists. She had pink hair, tucked back with little pins. They looked like little mushroom barrettes. She was also…

Well, Sachiko who had always been rather ambivalent about her own measurements, felt downright _flat_ compared to her. It was a weird experience. 

The boy she was bickering with was wearing a red raincoat, with the hood tugged up. He was a tall one, so Sachiko could see his face- he had brown hair, but… his eyes, facial structure… It was sort of similar to the girl he was arguing with. Siblings, maybe?

“Because, it’s always your fault.” He snapped back. The girl looked about ready to lunge at him. 

Before Sachiko could say anything or make her presence known, someone popped in the room behind her.. Her blonde hair was curled into massive and meticulous drills, with pink ribbons woven into it. She had an elegant dress and a huge smile, immediately bursting with relentless energy.

“Well, what have we here~!” She tossed her head back, uttering a shrill laugh. “Aren’t you a charming looking girl?”

The two arguing jumped at the loud voice, turning in surprise to see a very baffled Sachiko, as the extravagant girl clasped her hands suddenly. 

“It’s an absolute pleasure!” She gushed, flashing a dazzling smile. “Ah, I can see it in your gazes… “who”, you wonder, “could this mysterious beauty be?”” She released Sachiko, twirling and curtsying elegantly. “Well wonder no longer! For I am the one and only Ultimate Actress, Chikage Asai~!”  
  
“Wait-wait-wait…!” The other girl in the room had stars in her eyes. “You’re _the_ Chikage Asai? The same one from _Love and the Riverbed?!_ ”

Chikage blushed a little. For a moment, her facade faded and a shy expression appeared on her face. “Ah, g-goodness, that drama? So many people don’t even t-talk about that one…”

The boy rolled his eyes, tipping his head down a bit, raincoat hood slightly obscuring his face. “Sis loves dramas.”

“Don’t be so sullen!” The girl scowled at him, spinning away from Chikage. “It’s not every day you meet a famous actress!”

“She seems pretty weird.” He bluntly retorted.

Chikage had regained her composure and let out a shrill laugh. “Oh-hohohoho~! But of course~! I’m always acting after all! It’s excellent practice!”

“Bull.” He smirked. “You’re just shy, aren’t you?”

Chikage flustered again, but didn’t retort. Bullseye.

“Whatever. Not my business how you act.” He glanced at Sachiko. “How about you? Who’re you?”

“Oh, uhm…” She bowed, feeling a bit overshadowed by the trio. “I’m Sachiko Homugi, the Ultimate Lucky Student...”

His eyebrow shot up a bit, but he didn’t ask for further clarification, instead opting to introduce himself. “...Name’s Hiroto Suda.”

The girl who had yet to be introduced bounced forward and caught Sachiko’s hand, pumping it rapidly. “And I’m Chitose Suda, the Ultimate Mycologist! His little sister!”

“Twin sister.” Hiroto corrected blandly. “I’m the Ultimate Geologist.”

“Ultimate Siblings?”

“Ah, how rare…” Chikage thoughtfully clutched her chin. Her persona shifted, as if she were now an interviewer or a news reporter- it was in the cadence of her words and the way she posed that made Sachiko think of that. “Rocks and fungi, right? Quite different fields of study.”

“Mhm!” Chitose beamed. “I love mushrooms and fungi. I study all kinds of them! They’re super fascinating to me!” She grinned, raising a finger. “For example, did you know that mushrooms and other fungi are closer to animals than they are to plants?”

“How interesting!” Chikage chirped. Hiroto gave a little sigh, shifting a little.

“She can gush about it for hours.” Judging by his exhausted tone, Hiroto was speaking from experience. He gave Chitose a soft push, and she lightly punched his shoulder in retaliation. “So-” he continued, speaking as if they weren’t in the middle of a mild scuffle- Chitose appeared to be trying to force him into a headlock, despite being the shorter of the two. “What gives? There’s a lot of Ultimates here.”

“Well counting the four of us in here…” Sachiko did a quick mental countdown. “That’s… sixteen people.”

“Is that everyone…?” Chitose wondered.

“Truly it’s a mystery…” Chikage’s tone changed again, and she sounded like a cheesy noire detective. Sachiko wondered if she’d be able to get used to the rapid change in tone coming from Chikage, although she suspected she had seen a glimmer of her true personality.

Then, it happened. 

**_Bing-Bong_ **

**_Ding-Dong_ **

A bell rang throughout the building. Sachiko cast her gaze along, until it settled on a monitor installed in a high place on the wall. The screen was flickering on. It was static-laced and fuzzy, impossible to see the figure on the screen clearly. 

“Ahem, ahem… Testing, testing! Mic check! This is a test of the castle broadcast system!” 

The voice was high-pitched, carefree, and every single thing about it sent alarm bells through Sachiko’s head. She wasn’t the only one. Hiroto’s fingers had curled into fists, and Chikage and Chitose both looked tense and uncertain of how to respond.

“Am I on? Okay, well then…” The unseen figure cleared their throat. “Welcome everyone! I’m sure you all have a lot of questions about what’s going on, so why don’t we answer a few! You should have seen a large set of locked double doors in the main entrance hall when you were exploring! Now that you’ve had a bit of time to explore and meet, please gather in the auditorium past those doors! I’ll be waiting! Puhuhuh...”

Sachiko nervously clutched at her heart. It was beating incredibly loud and hard. 

Hiroto growled a little. “...I did _not_ like the sound of that at all.”

“Me either…” Chitose nervously lowered her gaze. “But… I don’t think we have much choice if we want to figure out what’s going on…”

“Quite.” Chikage pursed her lips. “To boldly go on into the uncertain future…”

“Hm.” Hiroto scowled. “Just stay close.”

_____________________________________

As the voice had promised, the black-and-white doors were unlocked. Sachiko and her fellow Ultimates trickled in. The auditorium was large and semicircular. No seats were to be seen, only a balcony looming high above their heads. There was a large cushioned chair positioned there, but it was unoccupied. Sachiko found herself in the middle of the small crowd. It was simultaneously unnerving and comforting to be surrounded by so many people. 

Nervously, they chattered quietly amongst themselves, confusedly pondering what could happen next, until…

“Well now, well now, well now, well now!” 

All heads turned upwards. The voice echoed from the balcony above. So carefree. So out of place.

So dripping with gleeful malice.

“Puhuhuhu…! I see everyone has gathered! I suppose it’s time to roll out the red carpet and welcome you all!”

“W-who is that?” Sachiko cast her gaze about. 

“It sounded like it came from behind that throne up there...” Izumi looked up. The others followed her gaze to the balcony above. It was dark, save for a dimly glowing red light, shining in the air. 

“Welcome…” There was a loud mechanical sound, and the balcony was lit up with a spotlight, illuminating the source of the red glow. 

A large black-and-white teddy bear, perched in a throne-like chair, in the balcony above the students.

“Welcome to your new school life!”

There was a pause.

“What.The hell. Is that.” Kouji stared in disbelief. “What am I _looking_ at?”

“Well I don’t know about you, but _I’m_ looking at the newest attendees of Hope’s Peak Academy’s secret course!” The bear cackled, hopping up from the throne to stand on the railing. “I am Monokuma! And this very special place you find yourselves lost in is Hope’s Peak’s very own Ultimate Research Facility!”

Sachiko’s mind was reeling. Monokuma? Research Facility? What?

“...Is this a joke?” Hideyoshi nervously giggled. “Because, like, I’m waiting for the punchline and it’s not adding up.”

With a nimble hop, the bear suddenly popped off the railing and… crashed face-first into the floor. He rose, wobbling a little, unsteady, attempting to shrug off his tumble.

“Of course it isn’t a joke!” Monokuma almost sounded offended. “Now then, I’m sure you’re all very confused. It’s in your faces. Cheer up you sad sacks! You’re at what was one of the most prestigious positions to be in!”

“ _Was_?” Daiki raised an eyebrow. 

Monokuma giggled. “Puhuhuhu… I can’t say yet. That would ruin the fun!” He had an odd, waddling walk, and was far more expressive than any machine that Sachiko had seen before. 

“What are you?” Daiki demanded with an interrogatory tone to his voice. 

Monokuma waved him off. “I am Monokuma! The Headmaster of this research facility!”

Daiki huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, okay, fine then, “headmaster”...” He clearly didn’t believe that at all. “What the hell is this “research” facility and why are we here?”

Monokuma spun about and faced all the students. “Well, you sixteen were hand-picked to take part in a special, and experimental situation! One that is even more prestigious and honorable than even being a graduate of Hope’s Peak!” 

The bear’s smile seemed to widen as he tipped his head down. 

“Well, that’s what you were supposed to be doing, but man, what a dumb idea. You kids don’t need more handouts! You need some proper hardship! Children today can’t learn anything if they don’t overcome adversity!”

“So this… isn’t what Hope’s Peak had planned?” Sachiko hugged herself awkwardly.

“Well of course not!” The bear leaned in. “I couldn’t _bear_ such a boring plan, so I thought it’d be fun if I were to spice things up…”

He turned on his heel, trotting around the sixteen in a slow circle. “Ordinarily, you would have been brought here with full knowledge of this, but we decided to cut out the middleman and just bring you here directly without telling you! So… You’re welcome! I saved you a few hours of extra paperwork! Instead, you just get a few minutes of extra exposition!”

“Enough!” Atsuko snapped, staring at the bear with icy composure. “You want something from us. Spit it out.”

“Want…?” The bear stopped for a moment. He stared Atsuko down. Monokuma’s voice dropped any semblance of playfulness or carefree. His next words were icy and cold. 

“I want you to kill each other.”

The room was filled with dead silence.

“I… k-kill each other…?” Hideyoshi hugged himself awkwardly, eyes wide. “If… if this is a joke… then it’s not very funny…”

“Oh dear… This must be a performance…” Chikage floundered. “I haven’t even been handed a script… This surely is a mistake. Nobody would put on a show without inviting me… would they…?”

“I’m not joking about this! It’s the newest experiment! If you want to leave this place, you need to kill someone and make it through…” A drumroll echoed from somewhere in the room, and Monokuma leapt upwards, limbs flailing excitedly. “...The class trial! My favorite part!”

Monokuma raised his paws and a curtain drew back, revealing a monitor, with little cartoon kids displayed on it. “If one of you commits a murder, then a class trial will begin! Here, you fight amongst yourselves and vote for the Blackened killer!” He gestured and the screen changed to the cartoon figures sitting in a circle, with one bloodied. “If you choose correctly, then you all get to live… except the Blackened! They get punished. Executed! Dead! Boom!” He threw his head back and cackled.

“But if you choose the wrong person, then I’ll execute everyone beside the Blackened! And the one who deceived you all will go free, to see the outside world once again!”

“What the hell?! What the- what-” Chitose was a stuttering mess. She flailed her arms. “What do- do you actually mean-”

Monokuma giggled, voice dripping with glee. “Yep! I mean it! It doesn’t matter how, when or why! By hook or by crook, I want you to do your best and _kill each other!_ ”

“Enough!” Mio leapt forward suddenly, her fists flying at lightning speed. She whipped a massive haymaker towards Monokuma. From somewhere on her person, she had produced a set of brass knuckles, and had every intention of putting them to good use.

Any semblance of clumsy awkwardness or playfulness instantly vanished from the bear. Monokuma moved so fast Sachiko could barely keep up with him, dodging the swing. Mio’s reaction time had to be appreciated however, as she spun quickly, keeping pace with the bear, unleashing a torrent of punches and kicks. Monokuma bobbed and weaved through the flurry of blows raising his paws and revealing long, slightly curved metal claws. 

Mio jerked her fists up, catching the sharp claws on the metal of her knuckle dusters, blocking them. “Hold still you little shit!”

Before she could swing again though, a huge form loomed up behind Monokuma and swatted him aside, sending him spinning. Katsuo stood alongside Mio, stance wide.

“No one is killing anyone. Whatever sick game you’re playing, I’ll take no part of it.”

“Hi-YA!” Ren leapt high, whirling his powerful legs and spiking the bear into the floor. He landed close to Mio and Katsuo, grinning. “You don’t have a chance!”

The three shared a knowing look, quickly forming a silent alliance, and spread out, flanking Monokuma from three sides.

The bear rose up smoothly. The three slowed in their approach when they realized he was laughing. “Puhuhuhuh… Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed... But I suppose you three didn’t know that, or about what happens to rulebreakers, so maaaaaybe I can let you off the hook this time.”

A low mechanical rumble echoed through the gym. It was rhythic, steady, and growing louder.

“Besides, even if you _could_ destroy me,” Monokuma continued. “I have _plenty_ of spares! So that would be pretty pointless. Such a waste of youth, to spend so much of your time fighting me…”

The doors in back opened, and Sachiko gasped. Dozens of Monokumas marched in, swiftly filling the room, encircling all of the students. They all spoke in unison.

“And a waste of _life._ ”

Mio’s fists were curled tightly, and she was trembling. It was clear that she was barely holding herself in check. The huge circle of Monokumas all cackled madly, a hundred voices filling the air.

“Ahahahahaha! Now do you understand? You _can’t_ defy me without some serious consequences... You can’t reason with me, understand me, convince me, cajole me… We bears are very stubborn after all! There’s no point asking me how or why, because all I want is for you to kill!”

“This has to be a bad dream.” Haruki mumbled, furiously chewing on her nails. “It’s all a dream and when I wake up I’ll be safe at home and crazy teddy bears won’t be telling me to kill people…”

“I’m not a teddy bear…” Monokuma growled. The small army of bear robots lined up and shifted, displaying startling coordination as they formed a sort of stairway back up to the balcony from which the original had descended. Marching up the ramp of Monokumas, the first one to appear walked back up to the top of the balcony. The army slid to the floor, and dispersed, marching out the door the way they had come.

“Puhu…. You get it now, riiiiight?” Monokuma giggled, as the robotic knights lowered their weapons, returning to their alcoves, which slid shut again. “Just so we’re clear, you _can’t_ defy me, and if you go violating the rules… Welllll…” He flashed his claws and leaned forward. “I guess I don’t need to go into the gorey details… Only punishment awaits misbehaviour, though.”

“S-so fast…” Juurou pushed his glasses up. “That must be an incredibly advanced machine…” 

Monokuma ignored his remark, as he hopped from foot to foot, balancing precariously on the railing..

“Wh… What the hell…?” Gorou growled, tense. “What’s _wrong_ with you? Why the hell are you doing this?”

“This must be a lie!” Kouji brandished his stick wildly, shaking violently.

“Puhuhuh… I guess you’ll just have to find out! Puhuh… Puhuhuh! Ahahahahahahah!” Monokuma threw his head back, maddening cackles filling the air. He finished his cackling, and rocked forward, nearly throwing himself out of his chair. “Ah, one final thing!”

He reached sideways and jabbed at a large button. Several podiums rose up from hatches from within the floor. Each had a small package with a name on it.

“Inside those packages you will find two very important items!” Monokuma gestured. “The first is a keycard to your own private room in the dorms, as well as your Ultimate Labs! The dorm is where you will sleep, of course, and the Ultimate Labs are for keeping your talents nice and sharp! After all, don’t want you getting too idle and lazy! The cards are a pain to replace, so you better not lose them…” Monokuma giggled. “After all, without a safe place to sleep at night, someone could kill you at any moment!”

Reluctantly, Sachiko and the others approached- as promised, each individual had a small package with their name stamped on it in an elegant font. The keycard was inside- it had her name on it, and a magnetic stripe on the back. It also had what appeared to be some kind of QR code, printed just under her name. Tucked in with the card was some kind of tablet.

“The second item is your very own Student Handbook! This super-high-tech device is crucial to your student life here! The handbook contains all the regulations of the school, as well as a map and a few other nifty things! You’d better make good use of it!”

Monokuma hopped up, standing on his chair. “I suppose that concludes the opening ceremony! Let’s all have a constructive, wonderful, and _viciously brutal_ student life here! Ta-ta~!” He waved, before leaping back behind the throne, vanishing from sight.

Everyone was silent, dread hanging in the air. Fear and despair swirled in their minds. They didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t know who to trust. This “game” was designed especially _for_ that purpose. Sachiko slowly cast her gaze from face to face, examining each student around her, trying to read their feelings and thoughts. Each bore a different stormy expression- some fear, some paranoia, some anger...

Sachiko, for the first time ever, was afraid for her life.

  
And so, with that twisted ceremony, Sachiko’s new life began.   
  
Her deadly student life of despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus begins a wild adventure. This is probably gonna be a long story. Sorry for this opening being kinda lengthy but I had to introduce sixteen people ^^; 
> 
> Be sure to leave a comment or something if you have time~
> 
> Goodnight everybody!


	2. Prologue Part Two: Exploration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one actually used to partially be part of the prologue but seeing as that was 9000 words I cut it and added more to this part to make it a bit more full. This will be shorter than that longass intro and hopefully a little better edited. I do plan on adding some minor formatting stuff to chapter one eventually to make it a bit easier to sit through.
> 
> But all that aside, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know if you have suggestions or ideas. I plan on doing FTE analogues sort of, so if you have any characters you'd wanna know more about, do let me know. Some fun reader interaction, y'know?

The silence was finally broken by a single profane utterance. 

“... _Shit._ ” Hiroto growled softly, fiddling with his hood.

“This is bad… This is really bad…” Chitose whimpered, tugging at her hair wildly. She was practically hiding behind her brother.

“So…” Gorou rubbed his fist into his palm slowly, grinding his knuckles into his palm. “...What… what should we do?”

“Um… What do you mean exactly?” Ayano tilted her head.

“I mean… can we… even take this seriously?” He chewed his lip. “Would any of us… kill each other?” 

“Surely not! No-one would have such dark designs as to lay their hands on a fair innocent maiden like myself…?” Chikage trembled, clasping her hands.

“Of course not…!” Daiki nervously waved his hands. “Right? R-right? I…” He paused, seeing all the dark looks on everyone’s faces, and his hands slowly dropped to his sides. “I… sorry. Let’s try something practical then. Why don’t we read the rules he made?”

“Good idea. We do not want to go breaking his… rules.” Atsuko scowled a little, as she fiddled with her own handbook cautiously.

“Ahh, fuck...” Mio frowned. “I mean… I guess it makes sense…”

Sachiko carefully examined the e-handbook. It was like a tablet, but far thicker and denser. The card was also quite dense. It seemed to be made of some kind of thin metal. For now, Sachiko pressed the button.

The screen illuminated, and her name appeared, plain as day on the screen.

**HOPE’S PEAK ACADEMY SPECIAL COURSE** **  
** **  
** **SACHIKO HOMUGI** **  
** **  
** **ULTIMATE LUCKY STUDENT**

She tapped icons until reaching one that read “Regulations”. Swallowing, she pressed it and began to read.

  * **Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited.**



  * **Destruction of monitors, doors and door locks is not permitted.**



  * **“Nighttime” begins at 10pm and lasts until 7am. During this time the dining hall and courtyard will be locked and off-limits.**



  * **Some areas of the castle are currently locked off due to construction. Entering is dangerous, and will be met with punishment. These areas may be unlocked in time.**



  * **A student who kills another will become “Blackened” and will graduate, unless discovered.**



  * **Once a murder occurs, a Class Trial will be held. Participation is mandatory.**



  * **If the guilty party is exposed during the Class Trial, they alone will be executed.**



  * **If they are not exposed, everyone else will be executed and the Blackened will Graduate.**



  * **Any one Blackened way only kill a maximum of two people per trial. A third murder will be considered a violation.**



  * **Violation of any and all regulations will result in execution.**



  * **Further regulations may be added by the Headmaster at any time.**



Sachiko raised her head slowly. She felt a little bit dizzy and very much afraid. 

“I don’t… I don’t understand anything.” She admitted shakily.

Juurou scowled, pocketing the handbook and crossing his arms across his chest. “We have been imprisoned in a strange place, with no knowledge of how we arrived here, or why we were brought. We cannot take anything we learn for granted, but we cannot trust everything we are told wholesale.” He summarized, blunt, cold, but straightforward.

Gorou grunted. “You’re talking sense. We shouldn’t just do what that stupid bear said. But we can’t ignore it, right? I mean…”

Sachiko looked around. Everyone was wary, suspicious, worried, afraid, but it was clear nobody knew who to trust. 

She… wanted to trust these people. Sachiko was a trusting person- it felt good to give others her trust. But knowing what she did, and with those regulations and the words that Monokuma had uttered… She wasn’t even sure if she could trust herself.

_“I want you to kill each other._ ”

Sachiko suddenly realized how scared she really was.

“Well…” Daiki thoughtfully laced his fingers behind his head. “Maybe we should check out the dorms and the labs upstairs first, since we have the keys to get in For now, why don’t we all stick together? If we’re all in a big group we might feel safer. Since the way that Monokuma said this all would work, if we stay in groups, it will be harder for someone to kill someone else and get away with it… I’m pretty sure that won’t happen, but why take the risk, right?”

“Good idea!” Gorou slapped Daiki’s back with a laugh. “I like the way you think! Any objections?”

Nobody voiced complaint, so the group trickled out of the gathering hall and made their way to the dorms. Each door now had little plates on them, with names and little pictures of each of them. Sachiko walked over to the door with her name and what was admittedly a rather cute little representation of herself on the plate. 

“Do I really have a little hair-antennae like that…?” She murmured, before swiping her card through the reader, unlocking the door.

The room itself was actually quite comfortable. There was a monitor, but oddly no sign of any cameras or surveillance equipment. She doubted there was none here, but it wasn’t something that she could see. It was feasible that the cameras were hidden and the room was bugged. Additionally, there was a large soft-looking bed, a table with a lamp on it, and a connected bathroom. The bathroom was nice too, and had a washing machine and dryer on the floor. Otherwise though the room was unremarkable. She opened the door and stepped out.

“Well that was a total waste of time.” Hiroto grumbled. Chitose gave him a soft push.

“I don’t know about that. After all, we know that our rooms are nice and comfy at least. Did you check the closet though?”

“Yeah. Weird.”

“I missed it.” Sachiko walked over to them while waiting for the others. “What’s up?”

“Lots of copies of our clothes.” Chitose pursed her lips. “It was bizarre. Loads of dresses just like the one I have now…So weird.”

“There’s not much else though in that room.” Hiroto scoffed. “Just sheets for the bed, a little notepad for writing on, and a bathroom. No cameras though.”

“And soundproof.” Atsuko had her ear pressed to Ayano’s door. “I was curious, so I asked her to help me test it… The doors and walls are almost totally soundproof. The only way to get someone’s attention is with the doorbells.”

“That’s… eerie.” Sachiko frowned nervously. “...Having a soundproof room would be pretty nice in almost any other situation…”

“I suppose it would give me plenty of time to read my books.” Atsuko straightened, ringing the doorbell. Ayano poked her head out. 

“Anything?”

“No sound at all. Thank you for your help.”

“Okay.” Ayano suddenly ducked back into her room without another word. 

“I think she’s a bit overloaded.” Sachiko frowned a bit. “She looked a little worn out.”

“She’s weird.” Hiroto bluntly remarked. “But I don’t blame her for needing a minute. Leave her be for now.”

It took awhile for everyone to regroup. Some people spent a minute or two just sitting in their rooms and trying to process the situation, and acclimate to where they would apparently be staying for the time being.

“Well that wasn’t the best use of our time…” Izumi crossed her arms, once everyone had reconvened. “I guess we check the labs now?”

Everyone stayed together, heading down the hall and up the spiral stairs. They were a bit narrow, so the students wound up climbing in a double-file. They reached the top and headed to the lab commons, splitting off to try their new keycards.

Sachiko noticed something odd about the lock. Unlike the door on her room, which had used the keycard’s magnetic stripe, this door required her to scan the little code on the backside of the card. She filed that information away for later, as she flashed the card and pushed open the door.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Sachiko rolled her eyes. Her “lab” was more like a casino. Cards, dice, slots, roulette. All tests of luck. She idly grabbed a set of dice and tossed them onto the table. 

“...Eleven. I don’t know if that’s supposed to count for anything.” Sachiko raised her head. “How do you even measure luck?”

The question went unanswered. There was little else in the room of interest, other than a small board to write results on. She shook her head and stepped out. The other doors were closed, presumably with the students inside them. One was open ajar however. Judging by the large book on the door, it was Atsuko’s lab. 

Sachiko approached, rapping twice on the half-open door.

“Yes? Come in.” Atsuko called, sounding rather brusque. Sachiko peered in.

“Um, sorry. The door was cracked…”

“Ah. I must not have closed it properly.” Atsuko waved a dismissive hand. The Librarian lab was dimly lit. There were a lot of files, folders, books, and various forms of reference materials. A large poster had what Sachiko could only guess was the Dewey Decimal System fully listed upon it, and the walls were lined with crammed books. There also appeared to be things for restoring and re-binding damaged books as well.

“This room seems at least a little more organized than the actual library was…” Sachiko frowned. “My lab’s a mess.”

“Oh, this was a mess as well. I sorted it.”

“A-already?” Sachiko blinked in shock. Atsuko wasn’t an Ultimate for nothing, she supposed… 

"It is strange, however. In spite of the utter lack of organization, a great many parts of this lab seem to be personalized towards me... I've used tools like all of the ones here, and nothing is outside of my comfort zone."

_This's been planned pretty far in advance if whoever's behind this knew that..._ Sachiko pondered, as she stepped out of the lab again, closing the door behind her, lost in a haze of confused thoughts.

* * *

Eventually, everyone reconvened in the dining hall. Even in a place like this, people still get hungry. Gorou’s loud voice boomed out. “So only we can get into our own labs?”

“Rather, only we can _unlock_ them.” Juurou corrected. “Anyone can enter, but only the person who the lab is set up for may unlock the door from outside, so long as they have their keycard.”

“That makes me worry.” Gorou frowned. “There’s some dangerous things in my lab. I don’t want anyone to get in there…”

“Mine too.” Daiki admitted. “Maybe we should do an inventory? Just so we know… If we know where everything comes from, it might discourage anyone feeling like doing something stupid.”

“Good idea!” Ren nodded. “I’ve got a bunch of track-and-field gear in my lab. Treadmills and hurdles and stuff. There’s not really anything dangerous exactly.”

“I’m sure someone creative could figure something out.” Kouji chuckled humorlessly, idly poking at his food. “My room has a number of books and some busts of famous philosophers. Pity it couldn’t be anyone creative… Ah, but uh, putting that aside, they might be dangerous. They’re heavy.”

“I’ve got a _shit-ton_ of dangerous stuff in my room.” Mio crossed her arms. “Big fuckin surprise huh? Spikes, bats, bats with spikes, chains… The kinda shit you might see a delinquent biker gang wave around.”

“The stage is set~!” Chikage leapt up suddenly, one foot on the table, balancing precariously. “Dress clothes of all kinds! Scripts, costumes, makeup, cameras~! Fake weapons for scenes but nothing deadly, surely… That is the truth behind the lab of the ultimate actor~!” She turned to the looming man next to her. “What say you? What lurks within your lab?”

“A lot of weights.” Katsuo bluntly stated. “Heavy and dangerous. But if you ever need some protein powder, please let me know. I am happy to share.”

“Awh, sweet.” Ren grinned toothily. 

Juurou clicked his tongue, shaking his head mockingly. He held back his vitriol however, and spoke. “I’ve a number of musical instruments. If someone tries to use them as a weapon I may kill them myself before that Monokuma does. They’re valuable. There’s also a great many pages of sheet music, but I doubt you could weaponise that.”

“I have things for book preservation.” Atsuko crossed her arms.

“That’s it…?” Chitose frowned. 

“Essentially. There’s some small dangerous things but nothing exceptionally so. Some paper knives, but they’re very small. Still, it is something to bear in mind.”

“Huh. I have some books, but- surprise! They’re all about mushrooms… Oh and a big supply of actual mushrooms too! Uh… Most of them are harmless, but there are some really poisonous ones… And a few that won’t hurt you but you shouldn’t eat because they’re hallucinogenic.”

“As if you haven’t eaten them before.” Hiroto muttered. This time, he had the good sense to duck just as Chitose threw a punch. He continued speaking without so much as a moment of hesitation. “I have rock samples and magnifying glasses and some other geology gear. Most of it’s too small to be weaponized easily.” 

“I have fencing equipment. It’s all totally harmless however.”

“ _Harmless?_ They’re _swords!_ ” Gorou blurted. Izumi smiled for the first time since Sachiko met her.

“Hardly. None of them are edged or tipped. Fencing is actually a fairly safe sport.” Izumi explained. “I am a _fencer_ , not a swordswoman.”

“Oh, uh, I see. Most of the arrows and bows in my room are real ones, so I guess I expected it to be the same.” Gorou sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“I could test them on you.” Izumi noted. There was an awkward silence. “T-that… That was an attempt at humor. I apologize.”

The pause lingered, before Gorou guffawed loudly. “Ha! So she has a sense of humor after all! EXCELLENT!”

Hideyoshi giggled, getting right into the flow of things. “Oh good. That means I can prank-- Er, ah-hem. Nothing too interesting in my room. Loads of paper, textbooks, calculators. There’s this real old old abacus in there that’s pretty cool…”

Ayano stared into space for a moment, before realizing that she was up next. The students were seemingly just going around the table. 

“Oh. I’m sorry… I was thinking about abacuses. There’s a lot of paper and drawing supplies. There’s some scissors in there too. No running. I’m not sure if safety scissors are dangerous though...” Ayano trailed off, eyes glazing over again as she spaced out again. She was probably thinking about scissors now. 

“Um… My lab is pretty safe.” Sachiko shrugged. “I guess you could run into a table corner, or tip a slot machine over on someone...”

Daiki grimaced. “Wish I could say the same. Throwing and juggling knives, all kinds of trapeze ropes, flammable sticks for twirling… My room’s pretty dangerous actually… At least everything there is flashy and obvious.”

“I have a lot of hypnosis stuff.” Haruki smiled faintly. “It’s all perfectly safe… Audio stuff, pendulums, neat light thingies… Even some scented candles and the like. The kind of stuff to help people relax and trance.”

“Hm…” Gorou stroked his stubble-coated chin slowly. “So… what should we do next…?”

“Well, it’s almost “night time”.” Daiki pointed at the clock. It was 8:30 pm. “So why don’t we get some rest? The dining hall’s gonna be sealed up soon anyway. And we’re not getting anywhere if we’re tired.”

“Seconded…” Ayano yawned. “All this worrying is wearing me out… and I won’t worry if I’m asleep.”

“Fine, fine.” Juurou shook his head. “I know this should be obvious but… Lock your doors. Minimize risk. While I doubt the capacity for murder exists in this room…” He scanned the faces, eyes narrow. “...I don’t deny that it is a possibility.”

With that last chilling remark, he stood and left the room.

“He’s pleasant.” Hideyoshi grimaced. 

“He’s right though.” Gorou said. He stood tall. “I want to believe in every person here! But until we know for sure, we can’t take dumb risks! So lock your doors and stay in your room at night. Don’t spend more time alone than you have to.” He thumped his chest. “Got it?! I don’t want anyone here doing something stupid like getting killed or killing! We’re stuck here together, so we’ll escape together!”

“Graaaagh!” Mio suddenly stood tall, fists in the air. “I’m feeling all fired up! I’m gonna sleep so hard my bed breaks!”

“Ohohohoh~” Chikage smiled broadly. “What a charmingly simple creature you are… I still fear the future, but I shall do my best to remain safe.” With a blink of an eye, she switched from haughty to overly sweet, like some cutesy childish character. “I hope you all protect me~!” 

Sachiko smiled weakly. Gorou’s advice was realistic, but much-needed. Morale had been raised, even if only a bit. She rose from her seat, and one-by-one everyone made their way out into the halls and towards the dorms. 

Sachiko unlocked her door, and sat in her bed with a sigh. She popped her hair clips out and set them on the bedside table, before flopping back with a long sigh. 

_My world sure got a lot crazier in the last six hours._ She pondered.

There was a sudden bell.

**Ding-Dong-Bing-Bong…**

“Attention Ultimate Students! This is a school announcement!” Monokuma flashed onto the monitor. He was reclined in a large throne, smiling down ominously with a whiskey glass in hand. “It is now ten PM! As such, it is officially nighttime. Remember, if you’re out by the courtyard, in the gathering hall or the dining hall, you have five minutes to vacate, or you’ll be locked in… And if you’re in, you violated a rule…” He leaned in, voice cracking. “And you all know what that means right~?” 

The bear slumped back down into his chair, chuckling. “With that, I hope you have a pleasant first night at the academy. Just remember to lock up tight, or else someone might prowl into your room… after all, you’re totally helpless in your sleep… _Sweet dreams…”_

Sachiko shuddered as the monitor flickered off. That bear… She definitely had good reason to be frightened of him. 

After digging around her room and finding some pajamas, she showered, changed, and crawled into her bed. Feeling paranoid, Sachiko triple-checked to ensure she had locked her door, before finally giving in.

Today had been rough. Tomorrow would be rougher. 

Sachiko uttered a quick prayer to whatever god might listen, to keep her and her new friends safe, even if it was just for a while longer…

And with that, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**MONOKUMA THEATER**

_When talking about how people grow, there are many who often begin the debate of “nature versus nurture”. There are those that believe people are the way they are when they’re born and never change, and those who believe people are formed by how they’re raised._

_But what about Monokuma, you ask? Well I’m a bear after all! I wasn’t even given enough nurture for that to be a factor! Humans are different though. All hung-up on this silly debate._

_So, let’s put an end to it! If you have to even ask, you’re totally stupid!_

_It’s nature_ ** _and_** _nurture! Humans are formed through experience,_ ** _and_** _through innate tendencies!_

_So remember kids, if someone asks “nature or nurture” make sure to tell them how stupid they are and how grateful you are to Mister Monokuma for teaching you this nifty fact!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you had fun reading! Please leave a comment if you have time <3
> 
> Goodnight Everybody!


	3. Chapter One- Daily Life Part One: The Courage to Live and the Cowardice to Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting near the end of the parts that I had to scrap and rewrite. I would guess that within the next two chapters or so it'll be a fair bit slower since I only have some notes to work off for writing them instead of the framework I have prepared here. Anyway, hope you have fun reading :3

**Ding dong bing bong!**

Sachiko was woken the next morning by the sound of a bell, and then was greeted by Monokuma’s irritatingly chipper voice.

“Good morning everyone! It is now seven AM! Time to get your rears out of bed and enjoy another wonderful day in our killing life!”

Sachiko groaned, pushing herself out of bed and rolling herself straight onto the floor. She grimaced, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She’d almost been able to forget that she had been locked up in a castle. At least the sleeping arrangements weren’t awful. If it weren’t for the bell the soft and comfy bed might have lured her into sleeping late. She started her morning routine, grooming herself and dressing, looking at herself in the mirror. 

_ I wish I had pants _ . She thought ruefully, glancing at her uniform’s long skirt. It would be a pain if she needed to run or climb anywhere. Especially with the spiral staircase that led to the upper floor. Sachiko emerged from her dorm, reluctantly ready to face the day.

Katsuo was in the center of the common area, doing squats. 

“Two hundred ninety-six… Two hundred ninety-seven…” He grunted softly. Next to him was Ren, clearly not as well-equipped for this, sweat pouring from his brow as he worked, but he was doing his best to keep up. 

“Two-hundred… Ninety-eight…” The boy panted. “T-two h-hundred ninety-nine…!!”

“THREE HUNDRED!” Katsuo boomed suddenly. Ren collapsed to the floor instantly, gasping for breath. Katsuo frowned. “...You shouldn’t push too hard.”

“An Ironman… Triathlon is two-hundred… and twenty-six… miles long…” Ren countered. “It’s a different work… and easier to pace yourself… but it’s still work!! If I can’t...do  _ this…  _ How would I… do  _ that _ ?!” 

Katsuo shook his head and lifted Ren to his feet. “Let’s get breakfast.” He glanced over Ren’s shoulder.

“Oh. Good morning Sachiko.”

“Morning…” She smiled a bit. “You look pretty ragged, Ren…” 

“I need some water and salt. And a nice big breakfast.” Ren punched his fist into his palm, still shaking a bit as sweat poured down his face.

They seemed to be adapting well to being trapped here, at least. It was only the first day, but something about continuing a normal daily routine was comforting. There was value in keeping up a ritual. 

Sachiko noticed much the same during breakfast while everyone ate. People chatted amicably, or read from books, or did other “normal” things while they had breakfast. For Sachiko, the normal activity was people-watching, so she just slowly ate while observing everyone.

For Hiroto and Chitose, it seemed the “normal” routine was fighting one anotherl, although not too ferociously. Sachiko was starting to realize that they actually might be thick as thieves despite the constant insults and punches thrown. It was hard to tell for sure.

“Mushroom omelette huh?” Hiroto smirked at her. Chitose rolled her eyes.

“I’m fully aware of the irony, yes.” She huffed. “The mycologist eating mushrooms. At least I don’t eat rocks.”

“Did you put salt on that?” Hiroto’s eyes gleamed with a bit of mischief. 

“I-” Chitose glanced at her food sheepishly, where she had indeed applied a liberal amount of salt.

“Then yes, you do eat rocks.”

“Whatever you say dickweed.”

“Bitch.”

“Fucker.”

“Don’t be such a cu-”

“OKAY.” Gorou cut them off with a shout. “I think we should come up with some kind of plan. Or something.”

“Well… How do we start?” Daiki leaned forward, resting his chin on his hands. “We could search the grounds again. Just to make sure there’s an exit.”

“We didn’t find much yesterday…” Izumi murmured. “That might be a waste of our time.”

“Maybe, but if we found an exit a week from now that we missed because we weren’t thorough, we would all feel  _ really  _ damn stupid.” Daiki chuckled. 

“I volunteer to squeeze into any tight spaces!” Hideyoshi beamed toothily. “I’m skinny, I could do it. Haruki could too.”

Haruki flushed. “...I-I’ll get taller! I still have a few years!! And you shouldn’t volunteer other people to do things like that without consulting them!”

“Heehee…” Hideyoshi giggled, fingers raising to his lips almost daintily. “I never have someone shorter than me to pick on! This is great.”

Haruki puffed her cheeks childishly, staring at the floor. “Hmph…”

“Aw, don’t be sad. You can hypnotise me to make me think you’re tall. Go on!” Hideyoshi leaned in, eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’ve never been in a trance before! Lemme see how it works! I wanna know, I wanna know!”

“...It doesn’t really work like that…” Haruki grumbled.

“Oh! That reminds me…” Kouji leaned forward suddenly and smiled, resting his elbows on the table.. Sachiko shivered. His grin seemed almost a few incisors too wide to be normal. “...Could that be why we don’t know how we got here? Hypnosis?”

“Huh? I don’t think so. You have to be willing to be hypnotised…” Haruki rubbed the back of her head.

“Well…” Kouji stood, shrugging smoothly, picking up his stick from where it had been leaning on his chair.. “We could have been tricked or manipulated or forced to accept... Do people usually recall what occurs while they are in a trance?”

“Usually, yes…” Haruki frowned. “It can take a few minutes, depending on what happened during the trance, but memory usually comes back.”

“I see… Unless of course it was your doing.” Kouji’s eyes gleamed maliciously. “After all, the Ultimate Hypnotist would have no problem lying if she was somehow involved.”

“I am  _ not  _ involved with however we got here!.” She curled her fingers into tiny fists.

“Kouji, what are you doing? Do you actually think that Haruki is-” Sachiko began to intervene.

“Not in the slightest.” He boredly examined his nails. “However, it’s possible someone here is the mastermind behind our entire situation. Someone in control of Monokuma.” He turned, facing all of the students. “Alternatively, one of us could be spying or reporting back to him in case whatever hidden surveillance he has is not enough...

“I do not see a reason to care.” Juurou bluntly interrupted. 

“ _ Huh? _ ” Kouji’s tone was so derisive it was almost funny. Juurou pressed on, between massive bites as he shoveled down large amounts of food into his mouth..

“Regardless if one of us is spying for the mastermind, or even  _ is _ the mastermind, there is nothing we can do at this particular point in time that they would care about; Aside from violating those regulations of theirs. Furthermore, according to the regulations, while some areas are restricted we are free to explore.”

“What’s your point?” Kouji sneered.

“My point is that at this very moment, if the mastermind is one of us, we have no way of acting against them. If they have a spy, the spy has nothing to report at this time. If we are free to explore, that would imply that Monokuma wants us to find  _ some _ thing.

“Ding-ding-ding!” Without warning, and seemingly from nowhere, Monokuma leapt out. Sachiko was so startled she nearly fell out of her chair. Ayano, who was sitting right where Monokuma leapt from, actually  _ did  _ fall out of her chair, landing on her back.

“It sounds like we’ve got some sharp cookies!” The bear chuckled, standing on the table, spreading his paws wide. “That regulation is to encourage exploration! So long as you stay out of construction zones, that is! It’d be super boring if one of you got killed by an industrial accident. That’s way too plain for Ultimates like you!” 

“Hm. So Juurou was correct…” Izumi murmured. 

“You are standing in my eggs.” Kouji complained quietly, as he sank slowly back into his seat. Monokuma ignored him. 

“You can wander all you like! Who knows, maybe you’ll get an idea for a murder by searching the grounds…” Monokuma giggled. “Well… I’ll let you all hammer out the details yourselves. But if you find a door with a lock on it… Puhuhuh... Leave it be, if you value your lives!” And with that, he vanished.

Kouji sighed, picking up his plate of ruined eggs and dumping them in the trash, heading to the kitchen to retrieve more.

“Monokuma wants us to explore… That sounds like we shouldn’t explore.” Ren nervously wrung his hands.

“Ya got that right.” Mio crossed her arms, scowling. “If he wants us to do it, that means there’s a reason, and I don’t know if I like whatever the hell it might be.”

“We have to try.” Daiki retorted gently. “We have to do  _ something  _ or we’ll go crazy and tear each other apart.”

The blunt, honest statement gave everyone pause. The silence made Sachiko realize that Ayano was still sprawled on the floor staring at the ceiling.

“Oh dear…!” She murmured, standing and walking over to her. “Are you alright?”

Ayano suddenly pointed straight up. “Does the ceiling look funny to you?”

There was a momentary pause as everyone’s heads tipped up too look at the ceiling. It was subtle, but by squinting, Sachiko realized that the ceiling had a strange pattern to it, almost as though it were made of panels. Sachiko helped Ayano stand up, and Daiki clambered onto the table, careful not to stand in anyone’s food. “That’s weird. We’re in a castle. Why is the roof in this room full of panels?”

“No idea… Need a boost?” Mio offered. 

“Nah, it’s too high for that. One minute!” Daiki grinned, darting off. 

“Hey? Where’s he going?” Mio rubbed the back of her head, looking somewhat put-upon.

“Well, if he is the Ultimate Acrobat…” Chikage gestured upwards. “Then likely he has ventured to his lab, in order to procure something to assist him.”

Daiki returned a moment later, carrying some things. In one arm, a length of rope and a long hooked pole, and in the other arm he was dragging a short stepladder. Moving quickly, he snapped the stepladder open and placed it on the large dining table.

“Careful!” Juurou barked, collecting his food quickly to keep it out of the way. Daiki scrambled up the ladder, holding the long pole, and carefully shifted it, hooking it on the chandelier hanging above the dining table, glancing down. 

“Move out from under it!” He warned those below. “It looks sturdy but I don’t actually know if it’ll hold.” 

The others scuffled back, and once they were out of the way, he yanked hard, to make sure it was sturdy enough, before carefully swinging himself onto the pole. He scrambled up it and onto the chandelier, as it swung precariously.

“Ah, I can’t look…” Chikage covered her eyes melodramatically, in her noblewoman persona. 

Daiki steadied himself and waited for the swinging to slow, before reaching up and jabbing at a panel. “Well well well…” He grunted, as it shifted easily. With a quick pull, he yanked himself up a bit, although he wound up kicking the pole from the chandelier by mistake. “Ah… There’s some good thick beams up here. I can see… jack and shit. It’s pitch black!”

“We could move some more panels to let light in.” Izumi suggested, watching Daiki’s legs dangle. 

“Please do. I can’t see anything up here!”

“Someone let me sit on their shoulders!” Hideyoshi suggested, gleefully picking up the long pole.. Mio grinned and suddenly yanked him up, holding him above her head. He yelped.

“How’s that pipsqueak?” 

“P-perfect!” He grinned nervously, before batting at some panels to let light into the space above. “Anything?”

“ _ Holy shit-!” _ Daiki yelped, nearly falling. “Uh… It’s a whole new room. Hang on, there’s a ladder up here. I guess I didn’t need the rope after all...”

“Oh was that for getting back down?” Hiroto crossed his arms. Makes sense.”

Mio beamed. “Ha! Man we’re all kicking ass at finding stuff. It’s only been a day and we found a secret!”

“Heads up!” Daiki shouted from above the ceiling, swiftly lowering a ladder from another panel.

It was at this point that Kouji returned from the kitchen and was promptly clobbered by the ladder dropping, knocked to the ground, his plate of eggs sent flying to the floor.

“Why.” He growled, resignation in his voice.

* * *

The upper room resembled a school store. “This is not what I expected.” Juurou mumbled, looking around thoughtfully. It was jam-packed with weird things and knick-knacks. There were practical school supplies next to bizarre souvenirs and odd toys.

“Monokuma appears!” The bear leapt from behind the counter. “Wow, you guys actually found it already. I was thinking I’d have to drop some hints on you, since the typical high-schooler is about as observant as… uh…” Monokuma paused, trying to think up a good analogy. “Well, anyway. This, obviously, is the school store! It does exactly what it sounds like.”

“Okay, but none of us exactly have money to spend here…” Sachiko frowned.

“Oh, that’s easy. Hidden in the school are tons and tons of Monocoins!” Monokuma raised a paw, holding some of the bizarre copper coins high in the air. “Use them for purchases or on the Monomono machine here, if you’re feeling lucky…” 

He stared pointedly at Sachiko who nervously shuffled her feet.

“What a waste of time.” Juurou shook his head, turning to leave.

Monokuma almost seemed disappointed by his dismissive attitude. Even a little sad. It was possibly the weirdest thing Sachiko had seen at this school. Still, she would have to keep this hidden little store in mind in case she ever found those weird coins.

* * *

Sachiko sighed. After exploring every nook and cranny, every room she could find, she had found no way out. Just a solid handful of monocoins. She stuck them in the drawer of the bedside table in her room, glancing at the clock next to her lamp.

“I guess I have some time…” She hummed. “What should I do…? Maybe I should hang out with somebody.”

**Free Time**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chance to give opinions on who Sachiko should spend her time with. It won't change the overall flow of the story, but it might add a little. There's a few things I already have set out, but I thought adding some reader choice might be fun. 
> 
> That's all for now, though. Goodnight everybody!


	4. Chapter One-Daily Life: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Free tiiiime. This one needed some serious edits since it made a number of references to things I changed and adjusted, but it's fine. Next chapter is only partially written so it may take a little longer to get through.
> 
> As always, hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think~!

Sachiko wandered the halls of the castle, getting a more solid idea of the place. Aside from the auditorium that Monokuma had greeted them in, none of the sealed rooms had been unlocked- there was one on the ground floor in each of the stairwells, another upstairs between the library and the labs, and a similar one on the opposite hall. As Sachiko wandered the upstairs hallway, pacing about, she encountered Ayano who was struggling up the stairs.

“Um, do you need a hand?” Sachiko asked. Ayano remained quiet for a moment, before pulling herself up the last two steps without help. She stumbled, her leg braces clacking noisily as she nearly lost her balance. 

“I-I’m fine!” She blurted, her voice at the loudest that Sachiko had ever heard her. Sachiko waited to be sure, then offered her a weak smile.

“If you’re sure. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright. It’s been… a hard few days, so…  _ are  _ you doing okay?”

The girl stared past Sachiko for a moment before focusing on her face. “Oh! Yes? Yes. I’m just- I’m worried, but I will be fine. I think. Comparatively.” She smiled a tiny bit. “Thank you for caring. I didn’t want to worry anyone.”

“You seem sort of distant, that’s all.” Sachiko chuckled a little. “Or is that just how you are?”

“Yeah…” Ayano smiled ruefully. “My focus is… um… It’s not good.” Her gaze began wandering again before her eyes snapped onto Sachiko again. “I can focus when it’s super important… but most of the time my mind just wanders all around. I’ve always been like that. It’s why I do illustrations, not drawing… It’s easier if I have a real thing to use as reference… I  _ do _ draw, but it mostly is abstract…”

“Oh, I see… Is it like… if you’re drawing from imagination your mind starts wandering too much?”

“Yep…!” Ayano nodded, fiddling with her glasses. “I can focus when I have something specific to make. But if I’m just drawing from thoughts or something, my imagination goes everywhere but where I expect, and I end up confusing myself and wearing myself out…” Ayano’s gaze lowered. She seemed a bit ashamed of herself. 

Sachiko frowned a little. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes.” She smiled a bit. “Just um… what’s the word… wistful…? Lost?” Ayano shrugged. “I guess I just wish I could do more than illustrate.”

“I’m sure you can do more than that!” Sachiko offered her a grin. “I mean you figured out the ceiling in the dining hall could be moved, right? You’re pretty perceptive. Plus, you seem super nice.”

Was Ayano… blushing? She had her head tipped down. “We-well… Thank you…” She mumbled. “But I think you’re overselling me…”

Sachiko sighed. Ayano needed some serious self-confidence. And maybe a little help with her focus. Still, it felt nice getting to know someone a little better. In a situation like this, Sachiko would need as many friends as she could get. She felt as though maybe she’d gotten a little closer with Ayano.

**Hope Fragment Obtained!**

* * *

While she was exploring the castle, trying to stick near areas where a few people were congregated so that she wasn't spending any time alone, Sachiko ran into Gorou. He was in the main hall, frowning intently. He was looking up at something above the double-doors to the auditorium.

“What’s up?” Sachiko walked past him a bit and followed his gaze.

She shivered at what she saw. Where once there had been empty space, there now was a large set of numbers.

_ 16 LEFT _ .

“Talk about bad taste.” Gorou scowled. “Nobody is killing anyone if I have any say!”

“You’re very determined.” Sachiko smiled faintly. 

“Of course!” Gorou slammed his fist into his chest. He did that a lot. “Killing just to get out of here… That’s unacceptable.” He sighed. “Not only because I think it’s wrong, I also think it would be a total waste!”

“A waste? A waste of life?”

“Yes! Because if someone kills someone here, they don’t just kill whoever they go after! They kill everyone else too! My life isn’t worth fifteen others! Nobody’s life should be worth fifteen others!!” He stomped, his fists clenched. “Plus, it’s more than that! It’s a waste of everything that life worked up to! Killing someone is snuffing out all that effort and potential!”

“Mm…” Sachiko mused, impressed by his intense passion. “I… I definitely agree…! I want to keep everyone safe too, but... It still makes me nervous though…”

Gorou’s face softened, and he placed a hand on Sachiko’s shoulder. “...Are you scared?”

“A little bit.” Sachiko meekly lowered her gaze. “...Actually, a lot. I’m terrified… I just want to run and hide in my room.”

“That’s good though.” Gorou looked at the ceiling. “I think I’d be more worried if you weren’t scared!”

“W-well, I mean I’m usually a little nervous at least.” Sachiko laughed awkwardly, forcing it a little. 

“Fear is a natural human instinct!” Gorou laughed. “Even I, the Greatest Archer, feel fear! Even when I do what I do best I’m sometimes afraid I’ll be off my game.”

“Like… in archery competitions?”

“Yep! Even the best of the best can have bad days!” Gorou laughed, booming and cheery. “Do you really think I’ve won every single archery contest I’ve ever entered? Ha! If only!”

Sachiko tried to imagine Gorou losing. He seemed like the sort of person who would just laugh a loss off and try again… She could learn a lot from that way of thinking…

Gorou rolled his shoulders. “I’ll tell you about some of those stories sometime! They’re definitely worth a laugh!”

Sachiko smiled, a real one this time. “T-then I’ll look forward to that!” She felt like she’d gotten to know Gorou a little better.

**Hope Fragment Obtained**

* * *

Sachiko remained in her room until lunchtime. She didn’t do much, just remained laying on her bed, wondering how she could try and help things stay calm. She would have to see if she could find more rooms, or anything of interest that she had missed. Surely there was something else that wasn’t in a restricted area that she could find, aside from the monocoins that were tucked in corners and in vases. 

She was, much to her surprise, alone in the dining hall when she got there. Being alone like this was… kind of nerve-wracking. Luckily, before long, she was joined by a haughty-sounding Chikage. She wasn’t in a princess persona like usual. More of a sharp businesswoman.

“Oh, good afternoon Ms. Homugi. I trust you are well?”

“Erm… Yes.” Sachiko bit back a giggle. She wasn’t sure if Chikage would appreciate having the roles she so easily settled into be laughed at. She settled into them so perfectly and quickly, it was pretty impressive. “I was about to make some food. Do you want anything?”

Chikage’s act dropped and her true, tiny voice squeaked out. “Ooh…! Um… Is there any ramen…? I’ll even take the cheap stuff. I haven’t um… haven’t had much in a while. I miss it.” 

Sachiko chuckled and headed for the kitchen. “No idea. Guess we can search. I’m not sure how long this will last us though…”

“For a long time!” Monokuma suddenly burst out of a cabinet. Sachiko yelped and scrambled backwards a bit. “We have a virtually limitless supply of food here. If it runs low, it will be restocked at night!”

“That’s… awfully convenient.” Sachiko frowned. Chikage crossed her arms.

“Mere convenience doesn’t begin to describe this… This is a set-up!” She growled, almost gangster-like in delivery. 

“Well…. It was set up for something.” Monokuma giggled. Before Sachiko could interrogate him further, Monokuma ducked around a corner and vanished.

“Ugh. Every time he explains something it raises more questions than it answers…” 

“He said something similar to me earlier.” Chikage chewed her nail. This persona seemed like a detective. “I was morbidly curious about those rules of his… He claimed that he would clean up an area if a murder occurs, but only after a trial… Horrific, but without evidence we won’t be able to find out how he is able to accomplish such things…”

Sachiko grimaced. “Ugh… I mean with those weird knight robots of his, I bet he could do nearly anything.”

This place only grew stranger and stranger as time went on. In a way it was comforting because it meant that Sachiko wouldn’t be able to get used to it. She really didn’t  _ want  _ to get used to this place. 

“Despite his small stature, he also appears to be behind the construction in the areas sealed off to us. Can those machines really be all there is to that?” Chikage leaned against a counter, as Sachiko began to boil some water for their lunch.

Sachiko shook her head. “Well don’t forget when Mio tried to fight him. She was so fast I couldn’t even tell where her fists were.”

“Mm... S-She reminds me of a martial arts actor I worked with.” Chikage’s acting dropped and her true nature shone through for a moment. “He could punch so f-fast that the director had to ask him to s-slow down, because it was  _ too  _ fast to show.” She giggled a bit. 

“Whoa…” Sachiko paused as she stirred in a few vegetables with the ramen. “Hope you don’t mind if it’s a little plain. I’m not very much of a cook. Or anything really…”

Chikage’s mouth curved into a slight frown. “Do you… really think so lowly of yourself?” She asked in her princess voice, if a bit more sympathetic. “You shouldn’t say you’re not much of anything.”

“Compared to everyone here, I’m not that impressive…” Sachiko sighed. “I’m just lucky, you know? Well, I mean… I’m here, so…”

“...Not so lucky.” Chikage pursed her lips. “Still, I think  _ everyone  _ is important! You just gotta find out what it is that makes you  _ specifically _ important, okay?”

“Find out what makes me important…” Sachiko mused. “I’ll think about it.” 

Chikage seemed like she had a lot of empathy, despite all the strange roles she settled in. Sachiko hoped that they were getting a little closer.

**Hope Fragment Obtained!**

Soon, the pair were joined by others as the smell of food lured in a pack of hungry teenagers. Even though it was nothing special, everyone had gathered to eat together. 

“Hmhmhmhm~” Kouji smirked. “Taking comfort in normalcy… That’s what we’re doing isn’t it?”

“Eh?” Daiki looked up, through a mouthful of noodles.

“I was just thinking…” The philosopher shrugged. “In spite of our situation, enjoying a meal like this and acting like nothing is wrong… I think there is value in this.” He sounded unusually relaxed. Maybe he had managed to soothe his nerves. 

“How so?” Daiki crossed his arms, frowning thoughtfully. 

“Well, deny it out loud all you want, but surely at least a few of you have been considering the possibility that one of us is capable of murder?” Kouji’s lips pulled back slightly, showing his white teeth. His grin was  _ just  _ a touch too wide once more. 

“We discussed that this morning.” Gorou grunted. “And we talked about dangerous stuff in our rooms yesterday.”

“I am aware.” Kouji shook his head. “The point I was trying to make is that by performing such normal actions, perhaps it will diminish the possibility of a murder.”

Gorou seemed surprised. “That’s awfully optimistic coming from you.”

Kouji laced his fingers together. “Hardly. Familiarity, routine and normality… These things can give us strength. But they are not the  _ only  _ thing we’ll need. That is all I was saying.”

Gorou didn’t say anything, but he lowered his gaze a bit. He was clearly having trouble reading into the strange mind working across from him.

“Maaaan…” Hideyoshi huffed, sprawling himself over the table. “You really need to chill out a bit. You’re like, super weird.” The boy twisted himself so he was practically laying on his back, staring at Kouji with his face upside-down.

Kouji huffed, but did not dignify Hideyoshi with a response. The tiny mathematician giggled. “Oooh, he’s all quiet now.” He scoffed, twisted back into a normal sitting position and leaned back into his chair. He leaned so hard the chair tipped, and Ren was forced to shoot his hand out to prevent Hideyoshi from slamming his head on the floor. 

“Uh…” Hideyoshi squirmed a bit, until his chair had all four legs back on the floor. “...Thanks. That would have been really dumb.”

“Fitting for you.” Kouji muttered. 

Lunch progressed quietly. It was… nice. It was quiet and nice. Sachiko supposed that an uneventful day would be okay.

* * *

**BING BONG DING DONG**

“Attention students! It is now 10 PM. That makes it officially night-time! If you’re in the dining hall, _get your butt out before I lock you in_ _and kill you_.” Monokuma cackled. “Remember, to any killers out there that nighttime is a super great time to commit murder! The lights are dim, the halls are empty… You have so many opportunities! As for the rest of you, sweet dreams! Goodnight!”

Sachiko sighed, rolling her eyes. Monokuma was still unsettling, but it seemed as though the longer he was around the more was becoming an annoyance rather than a threat.

How little she knew...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun-dun-duuuuuun! Something approaches...
> 
> Er eventually, assuming I can get this out
> 
> Anyhow, hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment if ya want~!
> 
> Goodnight everybody!


	5. Chapter One: Daily Life (Part Three)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to take shape, and while most of it is unwritten I do have a more cohesive plan for this story. Hopefully you stick around and enjoy!
> 
> This also took too long to write, so... sorry about that.

Sachiko was roused once more by the morning announcement. She blinked groggily and slowly sat upright as Monokuma’s voice filled her room.

“Goooood morning students! It’s now 7am, which means it’s time for everyone to get yourselves up and face the loooong day…!” Monokuma’s voice sounded particularly screechy today.

Sachiko uttered a long-suffering sigh. It was hard to believe that it had been only a few days since her new life here had begun and already it felt like it had been ages. Reluctantly, she rose from her bed, showered, dressed, and made her way to the dining hall. It seemed like she was the last to arrive. 

“Oh, good mornin’ Sachiko…” Ayano looked like she was still mostly asleep. She scrubbed at her eyes and yawned a bit.

“Good morning…” Sachiko smiled faintly before grabbing a light breakfast, and beginning to eat. The room has some light chatter bouncing back and forth. Haruki was showing the crystal on her pendulum to a curious Hiroto, Chitose was blathering excitedly to Chikage, Ren was exchanging fitness advice with Mio and Katsuo, Gorou was excitedly speaking to a stone-faced Izumi… Juurou was sitting silently, as were Kouji and Atsuko. Hideyoshi was practically bouncing about from person to person, alternating from annoying them to chatting amicably in a blink. Daiki seemed the most relaxed of everyone, casually leaned back in his chair and listening to the conversations around him. It was a fairly lively way to start the day.

Until suddenly Monokuma sprang up onto the table, causing all the noise to grind to a halt.

“Goooooood morning everyone! Again!”

“Seriously?! In my damn eggs again!?” Kouji bristled with barely-restrained fury as the bear trotted neatly into his food before he could react. “Must you ruin my meal every damn morning!? You… you…! You chromatically challenged cretin!” He leapt up in a froth, his coattails swishing behind him and storming to the kitchen, returning moments later with a new plate.

Monokuma giggled. “Puhuhuhu! That’s a new one! I’m proud of you for having such a creative insult!” He danced to the center of the table, twirling around, watching each and every student. “But I’m less proud of the fact that not one of you has gone and murdered anyone! You guys are just being so lazy!”

Hideyoshi stuck his tongue out. “Bleh! Shut up. You might think this is a game but I think the only way to win is to not  _ play _ it! Your rules are no fun.”

Monokuma shook his head. “Tut tut. So silly. The only way to win is to kill! So why don’t you kill! Kill kill kill!”

“So loud…” Juurou grumbled, deeply rubbing his brow.

“Oh, I get it.” Monokuma giggled. “You all just aren’t… properly  _ motivated... _ ” 

Suddenly, the doors to the kitchen burst open and a horde of Monokumas rushed in. Dozens of the little black-and-white bears rushed in. As if the mechanized armor hadn’t been scary enough, the thought of there being so many of their captor was a chilling thought. Before Sachiko or anyone else could react, they swarmed over the table and in a flash, everything on it was gone.

“H-hey? My breakfast…!” Juurou gasped, shocked and offended. The Monokumas, like a single mass, swept into the kitchen as quickly as they had cleared the table, the door slamming behind them. Only the first, still standing in the center of the table, remained.

“My eggs!” Kouji looked utterly distraught

“We’re going to have our first motive for the Killing Game!” Monokuma beamed. “I call this ooooone…! The daily discomfort!”

“The- the what now?” Gorou frowned.

“It’s simple. Every day you remain here, I will make life less comfortable.” Monokuma sneered, slowly pacing on the empty table, no longer playfully waddling and flashing his deadly sharp claws. “Starting today, you’ll all be on strict rationing! Tomorrow, I’ll do something else! And the day after, something else! Day by day…”

The bear spun, so that he was at the center of the round table, where he could rotate slowly and observe all sixteen students. “I’ll make your lives more and more and more uncomfortable, more and more of a hell… and the only way to get that comfort back… is if you kill someone.” Monokuma tossed his head back and let out a howling laugh. “It might not seem bad now! But every day will only make things worse!”

“Rationing…?” Mio frowned awkwardly. “You mean to say…”

“Well, obviously, I’m forcing you all to go on my special Monokuma diet! From this point onward, until a murder occurs, access to the kitchen will be locked! Instead, just after the morning announcement and two hours before nighttime, There will be a small meal provided, with  _ just _ enough nutrition to keep you all energized and healthy enough. After all, don’t want to make you all sluggish and too weak to kill…”

“In other words…” Juurou scowled, but his face was pale. “You’re significantly reducing the food we eat in order to make us uncomfortable.” He crossed his arms. There was genuine worry in his expression.

“What…?” Mio looked about ready to die already. 

Monokuma snapped a… well, something snapped like a finger. The Monokumas in the kitchen emerged, wearing odd chef hats and placed 16 spots on the table. Thin broth, a crust of bread and a small glass of water. As Monokuma had said, enough to keep them alive but no more. 

“T-that’s it?” Mio trembled a bit. 

Chitose sank slowly back into her seat. “...Whatever. No. I’m not gonna rise to the bait here…” She spooned some of the broth into her mouth, cringing at the taste but refusing to stop. She clearly wasn’t planning on giving Monokuma the satisfaction. Gorou chuckled approvingly, sitting and following suit.

Monokuma giggled. “Puhuhuhuh… Don’t worry. You won’t be so proud tomorrow…” The bear turned and vanished around a corner, his manic chuckling fading as he left.

“I don’t like it.” Mio pouted. “But I guess we have to put up with this…” She spooned some of the broth into her mouth. “Mmh. Cabbage maybe. Some kind of vegetable.”

“I would eat it slowly.” Katsuo held up a bread crust. “Make it last.”

Juurou looked ready to weep as he stared at the tiny bowl, but began slowly spooning little bits into his mouth. He dunked his bread in, sighing. “...That’s a little better I suppose. But not much…”

“So…” Izumi pursed her lips. “...Seems like he’s attempting to force our hand.”

“Removing comforts… About as unethical as anything else he’s done.” Juurou shook his head bitterly, trying to keep himself calm. “If anyone starts feeling like they’re on edge, speak up before you do something stupid…”

“If he’s just giving us less food, then we won’t have a problem.” Hiroto glanced at his sister, who nodded silently. “We’ve had to go without food once or twice, so we’re used to it…”

“I as well.” Atsuko noted. “Though that is more because I get too wrapped up in working or reading and forget… I do not eat much regardless. I don’t need the bread crust for now. ”

“Geez, seriously? No wonder you’re so skinny!” Ren tipped his head, impressed and worried at the same time.. “I guess it’s none of my business, but that seems unhealthy. Eating well is a big part of being in good shape.”

Atsuko gave a rare smile. “I would not be so concerned. My metabolism is slow. Still, I am loath to waste food. Would anyone like it?”

There was an awkward silence as nobody really wanted to step forward and seem selfish or greedy for accepting. Even Juurou remained silent, awkwardly lowering his gaze to the table. Atsuko’s smile fell and she rolled her eyes. 

“...Oh for goodness sake... Here.” She unfastened a long pin from her hair and spun it on the table.. It twirled until the needle’s tip slowed until it was pointed at Sachiko.

Before she could refuse, it was handed to her.

“Tomorrow, assuming this meal is identical, I will give the crust to someone else. And so on. It will be done in turns. Fair?”

The librarian looked about as if daring anyone to argue. No one did. She went back to her soup, seeming unconcerned by the weak flavor.

“...How much do you wanna bet that he already took the edible stuff out of my lab?” Chitose growled. 

“No bet.” Hiroto muttered darkly. “Although I wonder if he also took the hallucinogenic ones- I  _ know  _ you have some.”

Chitose groaned. “Yes. I have some. No, I do not eat them.”

“I didn’t even accuse you of eating any this time!” Hiroto was fighting back a laugh. “I give you a few nudges and you get all defensive…” He winced as she smacked the back of his head.

“And yet  _ you  _ still fail to defend yourself.” She retorted.

Sachiko rolled her eyes. “Well I see they’re exactly the same.”

“They must be the best of friends.” Ayano hummed.

It was a bit of a restrained effort, but everyone did their best to stay upbeat. They could handle this, for sure, but Sachiko began to dread tomorrow. If Monokuma was true to his word, it would only get worse from here…

Once she had finished her meager breakfast, Sachiko returned to her room. She sighed, softly, thinking over the insidious motive Monokuma had offered. It was going to be slow, but there was a chance it could worm its way into their hearts. And that chance was going to grow day by day…

She couldn’t just stay around her room this whole time. Sachiko needed to do something. She couldn’t imagine being too useful but she might as well go out and see if the others had any ideas.

**Free Time**

* * *

Sachiko was hungry through the day, so she tried to keep her activity level somewhat low. Still, she had to do something before she got too bored. She wound up bumping into Haruki, who seemed a bit jittery, but the girl invited Sachiko into her lab. The tiny girl seemed cheered by the company.

Haruki’s lab was the same size as Sachiko’s. It had several comfy couches and chairs, as well as a tea set (though the tea had been removed per Monokuma’s motive). There was a cabinet filled with all sorts of things- a small CD player and discs to go with, what looked like small incense burners, scented candles, various pendulums and shiny trinkets… It was packed to bursting. Aside from the cluttered cabinets, the room was comfortable, and rather inviting.

“Please, have a seat.” Haruki smiled, patiently. “Don’t worry, I’m not planning on doing any hypnotism, unless you would like that.”

“Um… Not right now, but thanks…” Sachiko smiled weakly. “I guess I just wanted to hang out if that’s okay… It just seems like a good idea to try and make friends with as many people as possible…”

“Especially here, mm?” Haruki frowned a bit, but shrugged. “I suppose meeting all these new people is an excellent chance to just get some practice at reading people.”

“Practice… reading them?” 

“Yeah.” Haruki pulled her glasses off and began cleaning them. Even without the absurdly thick lenses, her eyes were wide and large. “A large part of hypnosis is knowing how to work with different people. Everyone responds to different stimuli. Scent, touch, sound, sights… I haven’t tried taste, but I wouldn’t be surprised.” She giggled a bit, before abruptly shifting the topic a little. “Still, I think most of the people here won’t be too hard to get along with…! Just from my intuition, that is.”

There was something about Haruki’s childlike trust that made Sachiko smile, but it also brought worry to her heart. Yes, these people all acted nice, but… It was a killing game.

_ I don’t want to be paranoid. _ Sachiko thought, bitterness seeping in.  _ But you’re only paranoid if you’re wrong. _

“Well, I  _ want  _ to be friends with everyone, and to trust everyone here.” Haruki continued, nervously. “But I am kind of scared. I’m small and cute and in all the horror movies the small cute one almost always dies in some awful way.”

Sachiko flinched a bit. “Well, just try to be careful. You know, watch your back. Stay near people. Make sure you’re never by yourself unless you can lock the door.”

“Yep yep! You do that too!” Haruki nodded vigorously, replacing her glasses. “Now… Are you sure you don’t want me to hypnotize you? It might help you relax! I could put on some nice relaxing music and light a candle...”

“I’m sure.” Sachiko declined nervously. Even though Haruki had explained it, it still made her feel nervous. “Maybe… Maybe another time.”

“Okay.” Haruki giggled. “I know I said it before but I promise, I can’t make you do anything you wouldn’t do.”

“That’s reassuring.” Sachiko smiled earnestly.

She still wasn’t sure exactly what sort of person Haruki was, but she was getting to know her a little better at least.

**Hope Fragment obtained!**

* * *

Izumi made Sachiko a little nervous. She was tall, strong, and had a borderline demonic glare. Even though Sachiko chided herself for judging the fencer based on appearances, she couldn’t really help it.

Izumi was also incredibly pretty and poised and that just made Sachiko  _ more  _ nervous. 

“...Are you well?” She asked Sachiko suddenly, her head tilted. “You look tired.”

“Ah, um…” Sachiko swallowed a bit, clearing her throat. “Yes, I’m okay… I just didn’t sleep very well. I already tend to toss and turn…”

“And I imagine our situation isn’t helping.” Izumi nodded a little. “It is understandable, but you should try to get plenty of rest. I know that if I did not sleep before I had a tournament, I tended to underperform a bit.”

“R-really?” Sachiko looked up, surprised. “I… can’t really imagine you losing. You always seem so confident in yourself.”

Izumi seemed a bit flustered. “Wait, that…? I um…” She cleared her throat slightly. Was she… blushing? “I am, I suppose, at least in my skills…”

“Are you… not confident?” Sachiko blinked, startled. Izumi’s intense glower was perhaps a little softer.

“In my physical capabilities certainly. Socially, I am… a bit less so. I am told I can be a bit… unapproachable.”

_ That’s an understatement. _ Sachiko thought wryly, but she managed to smile. 

“I think you just have a very… um… Well you have something of an aura about you I guess.”

“...An aura?”

“...You’re looking at me like you want me to run away.” Sachiko elaborated sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head, lowering her gaze a bit.

“Oh. That… That’s what you meant. I um… I have been told similar things, yes.”

Sachiko offered Izumi a patient smile. “You’re very intimidating, but I guess that can be said about most of the people here… Ultimate Talents and all that…” She made an awkwardly noncommittal gesture in a feeble attempt to brush aside the point. “But um… Do you… realize you’re kind of just glaring all the time?”   
  


“Mm? Oh um. It’s not deliberate.” Izumi awkwardly lowered her gaze, fiddling with her hands. Her face was far less intense. Perhaps that was the trick- to just get her to lower her guard a bit. Maybe that could help her to loosen up a little. 

“You seem very kind, though! I’m sure we can get along fine, as long as we work at it!”

Izumi offered a small smile, uncertain grin. “...I think that would be nice. To be friends.”

It would take time, but Sachiko felt like she was getting to know Izumi just a bit more.

**Hope Fragment Obtained**

* * *

Sachiko was sitting on her bed, lost in mindless thought after a less-than filling dinner, when the bell went off once more. Her eyes slowly drew towards the monitor, and sighed as Monokuma flickered on screen.

“Ahem! Attention everyone! It is now 10pm! You know what that means? Nighttime! Also, please arrive at the dining hall fairly early tomorrow morning- You wouldn’t wanna miss your chance at getting your rations! Goodnight everyone!” 

Sachiko groaned, slowly laying on her bed with a sigh. Another long night. And this was only gonna get worse… Her mind was in a haze. She had accomplished little, other than distracting herself from the motive. Now that she was alone, she could feel a mild, unpleasant hunger gnawing at her. As the students had suspected- the food was just barely enough to nourish them, but not enough to fight off the pangs...

“Come on…” She mumbled, lightly pressing her hands to her cheeks. “No use worrying. You’ll be useless if you don’t sleep…”   
  
So, with anxiety roiling around her gut, Sachiko sank into bed, curled herself in blankets and drifted into an uneasy slumber.

* * *

  
  


**MONOKUMA THEATER** **  
** **  
** You know, people really should laugh more!

Whenever you’re in a movie theater, and everyone laughs at an absurd death in an action movie, doesn’t that feel the best?

But every time a real absurd death happens, nobody who sees it seems to laugh. It would make funerals so much more fun if everyone was giggling about how the person died.

...Maybe that’s why I don’t get invited to funerals very much.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to leave a review or comment or whatever. Or don't! I'm not the boss of you! I'd appreciate it ^^;
> 
> Goodnight, everybody.

**Author's Note:**

> Goodnight Everybody!


End file.
